Education Budget Cuts

Your article “State Seeks New Cuts in Budget” (May 21) paints a disturbingly accurate picture of the state’s fiscal situation. And, while our elected officials work to figure out how to deal with the deficit, they must make certain that the actions they take today will not irreparably harm California’s tomorrow.

One way to avoid destroying in one year what has taken eight years to build is to make certain that public education is not on the chopping block for fiscal 1992-1993. Schools have already been forced to absorb more than $1.2 billion in lost revenue in the current fiscal year.

As a result, school district after school district is having to lay off teachers, expand class size, eliminate or reduce athletic programs, counselors, nurses and security personnel.

It is incumbent on the governor and the Legislature to find other ways to balance the budget, such as new sources of revenue, closing gaping loopholes or rolling over the deficit.

In the 1930s, during the Depression, the deficit was repeatedly carried over. In 1983, Gov. George Deukmejian rolled over the deficit to avoid massive cuts to education and other critical state programs. By using this tool, just two years later the state pulled out of the recession to such an extent that it paid refunds to California taxpayers as required under the Gann limit. As a result, important state programs such as education were not needlessly destroyed.

Few would dispute that it will be much more expensive to take care of a lost generation of schoolchildren and completely rebuild our education system than it would be to hold over the deficit for a year or two until California’s economy rebounds.

SCOTT PLOTKIN

President

California School Boards Assn.

West Sacramento