Gov. Schwarzenegger’s recent proposal to cut $400 million in funding for schools and community colleges is disappointing, but his proposal to cut $4.4 billion from next year’s education funding by suspending Proposition 98 is lunacy.
Proposition 98 was passed by voters in 1988 and has since given education at least 40 percent of the state budget, with the exact number being dependent upon the state’s fiscal condition each year.
The proposition has, for two decades, protected education in California by guaranteeing funding for it.
To suspend the proposition, the Legislature would need a two-thirds vote and approval from the governor. If Schwarzenegger persists in his efforts to reduce education funding, the Legislature absolutely must rebuke him by voting against any proposed suspension.
The Legislature needs to stand up for education in California in a time when Schwarzenegger appears willing to sacrifice it.
A suspension of Proposition 98 would result in the reallocation of funding that could freeze salaries in some school districts while giving pay increases in others. Districts will have to reform their entire financial situation. Past budget cuts have resulted in employee terminations and expanding class sizes.
Now is a critical time for Californians to stand up and defend our future by protecting education in our state, and we must all let it be known that we are unwilling to sacrifice it.