Community Must Work Together to Protect Future Educational Needs

We feel a responsibility to offer the community a concise explanation of the current financial crisis facing not only our district, but all California schools. The impact on each of us will be significant, and the choices we face as citizens are difficult.

The $11-billion budget shortfall predicted for California has translated into $2.3 million in program cuts for Saddleback Valley Unified School District in the coming school year, with the possibility of $4 million to $8 million in additional cuts in 1992-93 and/or 1993-94.

These cuts will be made as far away from the students and classrooms as possible, but the changes in the programs that we have taken pride in offering our community will be evident and far-reaching. The conservative and prudent financial course we have pursued over the last decade will allow us to remain solvent through this crisis, but it cannot protect us entirely from seriously affecting parts of our outstanding academic and athletic programs.

In spite of the adversities we have faced in the past five years, and the total of $7.4 million in cuts we have made during this period, our schools have continued to remain excellent. SAT scores are higher than the state and national averages, our dropout rate is low, high school graduation requirements are most stringent, and our schools and students are consistently ranked among the top 10% to 15% in California and in the nation. The SVUSD class of 1992 has won over $3.5 million in college scholarships. Historically, the percentage of high school graduates attending community colleges, colleges and universities is nearly 90% of all graduates. In addition, SVUSD has the lowest administrator to student ratio in Orange County, and yet our campuses continue to be well-run and well-supervised due to the efforts of our remaining staff and the support of students and parents.

These achievements are the result of the partnership of parents, students, staff and community. This solid coalition must now focus on protecting the educational future of the students yet to graduate. We can best do so by working together to inform our legislative representatives that we will not tolerate and preside over the destruction of all that we value.

For some of us, political action is not comfortable, however we often must do uncomfortable things to ensure our children’s well-being. We are committed to do our best in keeping a clear focus on the needs of students and the classroom. We are prepared to make difficult decisions to sustain educational reforms and insure optimum educational opportunities for the benefit of all our students.

RAGHU P. MATHUR, President, Board of Education, Saddleback Valley Unified School District