Recently, the Legislature’s Conference Committee released a budget plan that included a proposal to increase taxes modestly on upper income individuals and corporations. Not surprisingly, the legislative Republican caucuses declared this proposal a non-starter.

ACSA and its partners in the Education Coalition support the Conference Committee’s proposal as a way to prevent even deeper cuts to education.

In support of this position, back-to-school news conferences are already taking place up and down the state to get the message out.

It’s clear that after several years of cuts and budgetary legerdemain, such as loans and delaying payments into the next fiscal year, all the easy answers to the state’s budget woes have been exhausted. The Conference Committee’s proposal would raise approximately $6.7 billion in revenues. Finding solutions to the current $15.2 billion shortfall is going to be challenging, to say the least, and requires such a balanced approach.

ACSA and the Education Coalition are determined that after years of cuts to education, the solutions this time around will not come at the expense of California’s students. The coalition recently issued a response to the Conference Committee’s proposal, stating it supports such a balanced approach of budget cuts and new revenues in order to protect schools and students.

“The Conference Committee budget includes both revenue increases and budget cuts to close the gap, taking a much more reasonable approach than the governor’s May Revision,” the statement read. “It is important to note that these revenue increases don’t rely on risky borrowing. We simply cannot afford to gamble with our students’ future.

“The restoration of $2.5 billion of the governor’s proposed $4.3 billion in education cuts could help us retain our state’s valuable educators, and restores funding to critical programs that help improve student achievement. It also provides some relief to help local school districts make ends meet as the price of gas and school lunches continue to skyrocket.”

The Education Coalition went on to note that the governor’s budget proposals include substantial cuts to education funding. This, after already taking a more than $500 million hit in the middle of the current year. These proposals have led to the issuing of layoff notices to thousands of teachers and essential school staff.

“With devastating consequences, many of our best and brightest are leaving the state to find more stable jobs in other states, where they are highly valued,” the coalition noted. “Schools are still eliminating arts, music and classes that help students learn and succeed. As a result, California still ranks 46th out of 50 states in per-pupil spending, and dead last in the number of librarians, counselors and support staff per student.

“In what we view as the bottom line this year, the Conference Committee proposal provides new and steady sources of revenue to help protect our public schools from further deterioration.”

“Continuing to close the state’s budget deficit with a cuts-only approach that hurts schools and vital services that all Californians need and deserve is not the answer,” said California Teachers Association President David Sanchez.