Advocate for Our Schools

This week, the California Teachers Association is sponsoring a statewide Week of Action to call attention to the devastating effects budget cuts have had, and will continue to have, on California schools. Members of the community will join CTA to support solutions that protect schools from further cuts.

The Berryessa School District has been significantly impacted by budget cuts over the past 5 years, absorbing budget reductions of 11%. As a result, our students have fewer services available to them. The outcome has been larger class sizes, reduced library hours, reduced school support staff, fewer custodial resources, a slimmed down district office, fewer counselors, and 2 fewer school days, among other things.

None of these cuts has been good for the more than 8000 students our district educates. I commend the hard work of our teachers, administrators, and staff, who have rededicated themselves to doing more with less. Everybody who works in our district cares about the kids above all else.

The state’s ongoing budget crisis threatens to further erode the services we are able to provide. The budget picture is still murky, but will come into better focus next week after Governor Brown releases his revised budget proposal (often called the “May Revise”). Unfortunately, the California Senate Republican Caucus stated last week “that public education’s woes have nothing to do with a shortage of funds.” Therefore, it is important that we continue to make the case that schools cannot tolerate further cuts.

A state budget that is balanced by cuts alone is estimated to reduce our district’s budget by more than 5% on top of the cuts we have already endured. The outcome would be further increases in class size, an even shorter school year, and jeopardy of programs such as music, counseling, and libraries. The Berryessa School Board supports a balanced approach to the state budget that includes extending current revenue levels along with significant cuts.

Please contact your legislators and let them know that you support the balanced approach – one that fulfills our commitment to educate the next generation of Californians. Even more importantly, if you have friends or family in other parts of the state who are represented by Republican legislators, urge them to make the same plea. It will take two Republican votes in each house of the legislature to extend $10 billion of revenue sources that otherwise will expire this year. Part of Santa Clara County is represented by Senator Sam Blakeslee. He appears open to considering Governor Brown’s balanced solution. Contact his office and encourage him to do so.

Our children and California’s economy depend on education to succeed in the future. I hope that Berryessa schools will be able to continue providing a top-notch education for years to come.