California’s Budget Crisis

The education community applauds state Sen. Frank Hill and Assemblyman Phil Isenberg for their valiant effort to break the budget deadlock in Sacramento by proposing a compromise budget plan, (“2 Lawmakers Draft Budget Compromise” July 17).

However, their plan, which calls for unacceptable cuts in education funding of $1.1 billion, must be perceived as a catalyst for renewed budget negotiations between the governor and the legislative leadership, and not as a budget solution.

Although a $1.1-billion cut is less than the governor’s call for a staggering $2.3-billion cut, the Legislature and the public must not see this as a “win” for education. These cuts, combined with the $1.2-billion cut already suffered by education last year, would mean California will be spending $1,000 less per pupil than the national average. The Hill-Isenberg budget translates into a loss for K-12 schools of $3,000 per classroom, the loss of 15,000 teachers and 5,000 teaching assistants and classified school employees and it means 90,000 students will be kept from attending community colleges this year.

Nonetheless, we do recognize that we have an obligation to share the pain with all state services. The education community has agreed to an additional cut of $605 million. Anything more will start education in this state on a backward spiral from which it may never recover.

BILL HONIG

State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Sacramento