California School Boards Association Urges Governor to Support Legislation to Repeal AB 114
West Sacramento, Calif. -- California School Boards Association President Martha Fluor called upon Gov. Brown in a letter today to support legislation that would repeal problematic provisions in AB 114 related to the authority of boards to adopt district budgets to maintain fiscal solvency, as well as teacher layoff provisions.
The 100-page education trailer bill arrived on the Senate floor late Tuesday night and was immediately taken up for a vote. The version of the bill that was voted on was never heard in any committee, nor was it made available for public review and comment, leaving those responsible for the fiscal solvency of local school districts at a loss.
"To require school board members to completely ignore the real potential of midyear cuts and disregard their duty to balance local budgets in a reasonable and responsible manner is troubling," said CSBA Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. "Frankly, we are disappointed that the governing leaders of California's schools did not have an opportunity to raise concerns and provide input on a bill that greatly affects our students and schools."
Fluor outlined in her letter to the governor concerns with two especially troubling provisions in AB 114, restricting districts from accounting for the possibility of midyear budget cuts, even though another bill, AB 121, clearly specifies that schools would be cut by nearly $2 billion if revenues come in below estimates. Parallel language also applies to county office of education budgets.
If midyear education cuts are realized, AB 114 severely restricts the ability of school districts to address those cuts in a realistic and fiscally responsible manner. As a result, the programs and services provided by classified employees and other non-teaching staff will take the full brunt of cuts if districts are unable to negotiate a shorter school year with teachers. But these programs have already been hit hard by prior cuts. Consequently, midyear cuts, coupled with statutory restrictions on how school districts manage them, could drive more districts to financial insolvency. Ironically, this would result in those districts being "taken over" by the very state that forced the district into financial ruin.
"We ask that you support and help lead our effort to get these provisions repealed," Fluor stated in the letter. "The already painful need to cut programs and reduce services to students is made even more difficult when the state intrudes on the ability of school boards to manage their own resources. The state should not be substituting its judgment for that of those who live in the communities affected, have fiduciary responsibility for the districts, and are held accountable for student outcomes."
For more information, please contact Brittany McKannay at (916) 669-3244.