Most recent updates

• Legislature Passes Mid-Year Cut Legislation
  Happy Holidays from the State Legislature and the Governor! In the ongoing saga we call the state budget, it is hard to tell who is playing the role of Santa Claus and who is playing the Grinch. The new installment of budget drama ended with the Legislature passing a package of bills that included a questionable tactic to increase revenues, massive cuts to state services, a veto promise and a possible legal injunction. It seems no one has the holiday spirit.
• Special Session Sounds Dire - Action Needed
  The last twenty-four hours marked another day demonstrating the dysfunction and polarization of the Legislature and governor. The day started with Assembly member Villines outlining everything the Republican Caucus would need in order to convince the caucus members to vote on taxes.
• Budget Sample Letter
  Attached is a sample letter that describes our need for additional revenues, a realistic approach to mid-year cuts and our support and need for flexibility. Please feel free to adjust the letter to meet your local needs or audience. It is important to describe the harm that further cuts will cause your local schools. We must stay vigilant in our message and maintain the pressure to place education as a priority.
• Superintendents Council - December 5,2008
  Please click the above link to download the documents that were distributed at the Superintendents Council meeting on December 5, 2008.
• Superintendents Council Presentation on Budget
  Please click the above link to view the presentation that was given at the Superintendency Council on December 5, 2008.
• Budget Alert: Special Session Vote
  The Legislative special session ends with a whimper. Both houses of the Legislature met to vote on a package of mid-year cuts and increased revenues in an effort to close the state's budget deficit of $28 billion. Similar to the ongoing budget impasse this past year, the Legislature failed to reach consensus on any legislation to close the budget deficit.
• Budget Advisory: LAO releases annual five-year forecast
  The Legislative Analyst’s Office released its annual Fiscal Outlook: 2008-09 through 2013-14. This report serves as a prelude to the annual budget deliberation process that begins every January with the release of the governor’s January Budget Proposal. However, with the special session beginning shortly after the November election, much of the forecast was shared in the Legislative Analyst’s analysis of the governor’s special session proposal.
• LAO Special Session Analysis
  The Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) noted that the revenues in the state are plummeting quickly and will continue to plummet if the Legislature fails to act quickly. Further, the deficit has become a monumental problem and now equals approximately $28 billion over a 20 month period.
• Governor Calls for Special Session
  The governor finally called for the Special Session that he promised late last week. The governor defined the overall budget deficit for the current fiscal year and the 2009-10 fiscal year and introduced his plan to solve the budget deficit.
• Educators Oppose Further Cuts
  The Education Coalition stands firm against cuts to schools as the governor projects an additional $2-4 billion slashed from education.
• Budget advisory: Analysis of final 2008-09 K-adult budget Overview and commentary
  This year's budget saga finally came to end. Unfortunately, the final 2008-09 State Budget merely "kicks the can down the road," and does very little to address the fundamental causes of the state's structural deficit and nagging fiscal issues. It is likely the worst state budget we have witnessed in our careers. The budget document was out of whack the moment it was signed and sets us up for incredible challenges in the years to come. Education leaders are advised to prepare for difficult fiscal conditions going well into 2010-11.
• Final Budget Passed
  September 16, 2008 - Finally, after a record 78 day impasse, the Legislature has passed a budget proposal for the Governor to sign. Late last night both the Senate and Assembly took up a budget proposal that did not include new taxes and relies heavily on borrowing. The resolution of the budget came about over the weekend when Senator Perata relented to the Republican Caucus’ demand to design a budget that does not include new or higher taxes. After working throughout the week, the Democratic leadership of the Senate and Assembly and the leadership from the Republican Caucus emerged late Sunday night with a budget compromise that will end the longest budget standoff in state history.
• Education Coalition Holds Statewide “Day of Action”
  The Education Coalition held a statewide "Day of Action" on Sept. 5 to call on leaders to pass a responsible budget that invests in students, schools and California’s future.
• Budget Advisory: Implications of a late budget on K-adult program apportionments
  September 4, 2008 - The state budget stalemate has now entered record-setting territory. If the stalemate continues, it is possible that many categorical program payments could be delayed. As we enter this uncharted territory, it will be imperative that county offices and school districts closely monitor their cash flow conditions. This joint budget advisory is intended to provide education leaders and stakeholders information and management recommendations on this matter.
• Budget Vote Fails Senate Floor
  September 3, 2008 - With three days before the end of the legislative session, the Senate finally took a budget up for a vote. On Thursday night the rumors circulated that the Senate had an agreement on the budget and planned to pass a budget on Friday morning. It appeared that the rumor was half right. The Senate voted for a budget, but without any Republican votes (and one Democrat not voting) the budget failed passage.
• Budget Rumors are Swirling!
  August 13, 2008 - Rumors are swirling in and out of the Capitol that a final budget deal is eminent. Our reconnaissance indicates the following: We've entered the stage where "real" negotiations are starting to happen. Those that do collective bargaining for their LEA know when critical mass starts to come together.
• Budget Negotiations
  July 23, 2008 - Twenty-three days past the constitutional deadline for a budget and the legislative leadership is still deadlocked in negotiations regarding the specifics of the state budget. For the past several weeks the Big 4 - the majority and minority leadership from the Senate and Assembly - have met regularly in an effort to finalize the budget. ACSA believes that these meetings have been productive in their efforts to finalize a budget that would close the budget deficit. Late last week the Governor met with the Big 4 to discuss a resolution to the budget stalemate, and included his lottery proposal as a possible solution to closing the deficit.
• FY 2008-09 Questions and Answers: Stay Vigilant in Protecting Proposition 98
  July 7, 2008 - We have now reached the constitutional deadline for the passage and signature of a budget and again the deadline was passed without a budget being passed or signed. We have reached the stage in the budget process where the specifics of the budget are being negotiated by the "Big 5" - the Governor, Senate Pro Tem, Assembly Speaker, and the leaders of the Senate and Assembly Republican Caucus.
• Release of 2008-09 May Budget Revision
  May 14, 2008 - Earlier today Governor Schwarzenegger released his 2008-09 May Budget Revision. The proposal contains significant changes to his January proposal. The above link is an analysis of the proposal's impacts to K-adult education programs.
• Calm Before the Storm
  April 4, 2008 - Please click the above link for a status update on the 2008-09 state budget deliberations.
• Governor's 2008-09 January Budget Proposal
  January 10, 2008 - Governor Schwarzenegger has released his proposed January 2008-09 State Budget declaring a “fiscal emergency” per Proposition 58 and proposing massive cuts to public education. As predicted by ACSA and other experts, it signals the start of yet another difficult financial period for public education. The following outlines the governor’s proposal, its impact on LEA management and operations, and ACSA’s initial policy response.
• LAO's Overview of the Governor's Special Session Proposals [pdf]
  The LAO concur with the administration’s assessment that the state’s struggling economy signals a major reduction in expected revenues. The above link will take you to a pdf version of the LAO's Overview of the 2008 Special Session Proposals on the Legislative Analyst's Office website.