It’s now a given that 2009 will be a horrible budget year for California. The state has found itself in dire straits through a combination of years of legislative buck passing when it came to addressing the state’s structural budget deficit, and a year when the national economy tanked.
In 2008, facing a multi-billion dollar structural deficit, state legislators followed their modus operandi of recent years and punted when faced with difficult choices. Then the foreclosure crisis hit and the bears ran rampant on Wall Street, leaving California facing a current-year $28 billion deficit in a state budget that had been passed only weeks before.
There is no doubt that whatever Gov. Schwarzenegger proposes next month in his 2009-10 budget, the proposal will not please anyone. This is why this year, even more than ever before, it’s so important to attend the 2009 Budget Perspectives Workshops.
The Budget Perspectives Workshops will offer the latest information and analysis on the governor’s 2009-10 proposed budget, right after it is released, and its ramifications for K-12 education. This crucial information will help local education agencies prepare for this down budget year.
The workshops will be offered in seven locations on three different dates: Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Redding on Jan. 13; Fresno, San Jose and Ontario on Jan. 14; and Bakersfield on Jan. 15.
The 2009 Budget Perspectives Workshops are a collaborative effort of ACSA, School Innovations and Advocacy and the Small School Districts Association. More information and registration is available at www.sia-us.com/register, or by calling (877) 954-4357.