The Risks in School Cuts

Public education in the state of California is faced with a severe financial crisis in 1987-88. A 1.1% cost-of-living adjustment will not allow school districts throughout the state to even keep up with inflation. In our district alone, it takes about a 3% increase just to roll our current programs and salary schedules forward from one year to the next.

Lengthening of the school day and the school year, increased graduation requirements, strengthened curriculum and improved test scores are all evidence of the educational communities’ support of reform efforts. However, we are disheartened at what we will have to do if funding remains at the level proposed in the governor’s budget.

Quite simply, a 1.1% increase for 1987-88 means that we (Saddleback Valley Unified School District) will have to make over $3 million in budget expenditure reductions. This means that valuable programs such as elementary music and specialized remedial reading instruction will be lost.

We understand that the money supply is not endless, but this does not mean that education should not receive its fair share of new money.

PETER A. HARTMAN

Superintendent

Saddleback Valley

Unified School District