California is facing a budget deficit of over $26 billion, which Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to solve through a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. However, Republican legislators are blocking efforts to put the measure on the June ballot for voters to decide; they want more cuts in spending. Even if the tax increase is passed, spending cuts would be over $12 billion. If the new tax measures were voted down, the amount of cuts would double.
Either circumstance would result in dramatic decreases in funding for all sectors of public education. Potential effects would be increased college tuition, increased class sizes, a reduced school year and pay cuts for employees, according to the State Legislative Analyst’s Office.
San Dieguito Unified High School District
The effects of an ailing budget can be felt in the San Dieguito Unified High School District. The district would lose a large amount of its annual funding if Brown’s budget plan is not passed.
“If the tax extensions do not occur, K-12 will definitely be faced with more cuts as the Governor and Legislature will be forced to address the $12 billion in lost revenue. The lowest estimate is that school districts will lose $330 per student, although it will probably be higher. California is already near the bottom of the nation in per-student funding,” said Delores Perley, director of financial services for SDUHSD.
“Administration and the Board of Education are making every effort to keep reductions as far away from the classroom as possible. While we have made cuts across many programs over the years, they have been spread district-wide, and we have not eliminated any programs [solely] for budget reasons,” said Perley.
Even under the district’s best efforts, the lack of funding has affected schools such as SDA. “The budget problems have lead to larger class sizes. It’s hard to give personal attention to kids, and parts of the school aren’t made for large classes; there’s not enough room,” said Spanish teacher David Bair.
As schools look to consolidate classes by increasing class sizes, new teachers face an increased risk of not having their contracts continued for the following year. “Because I am the most recently hired teacher, I always run the risk of not getting continued for the next year [due to budget problems],” said English teacher David Tow.
The district has made over $2.7 million in budget cuts in the 2010 school year, adding up to a total of $7.2 million in cuts since 2008. An additional $3 million in cuts are proposed for the 2011-2012 school year under Brown’s budget, according to Perley.
Community Colleges
Many California community colleges are also hard hit by the budget cuts. The students will be impacted primarily by increased tuition fees. The class of 2010 sent 112 students out of the 383 in the graduating class on to a California community college.
The California legislature sets the tuition for all California community colleges. The current fee of $26 per unit, which is the lowest in the nation, will increase next year to $36 per unit. “It will certainly reduce access for a number of students,” said Laura Gropen, director of public affairs at Palomar College.
“[Budget cuts] make it more difficult for students to find classes to enroll in, because the classes fill very rapidly. Late registration is much harder. We recommend registering as early as possible for courses in the fall,” said Gropen.
Up to 350,000 students out of the system’s nearly 1.8 million will be turned away statewide under Brown’s budget cuts as colleges reduce their class offerings for the 2011-12 school year, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
Palomar College’s budget is tied directly to the state. Under Brown’s budget they face a $5 million loss in state funding, and a $9 million loss if the budget is not passed.
Former SDA students who have moved on to community colleges are already experiencing the results of a tighter budget. “The only major change I saw was that the class sizes had gotten so full that the people who were enrolled in the class didn’t have any place to sit, and the class room could easily hold 45-50 students. That class was only supposed to have 25-30 students,” said Palomar College student Jean Marie Lester, class of 2010.
“Scholarships and grants are now a lot more competitive because they have been greatly reduced and more people are making an effort to apply. Also, having teachers that are part time is hard on my education. Because of cuts the school can’t apply them full time, they don’t have office hours or any extra time at the campus for students to work on class material with them and get help in their subject,” said Palomar College student Kim-Ashleigh Mostert, class of 2010.
On the other hand, MiraCosta College receives approximately 80 percent of its funding from property taxes. MiraCosta will have to make $5 million in reductions this year due to declining property values and the high amount of foreclosures, according to the MiraCosta public information office.
“We’re really fortunate at MiraCosta College because we’re still able to grow and increase the number of classes we offer, even under budget cuts. We want to make sure students still have access to higher education,” said Cheryl Broom, director of marketing and communications at MiraCosta College.
“If anything, I feel like I am getting more for the smaller amount of money I spend, unlike universities who are now paying more money for fewer classes. Class sizes are still relatively small and I don’t experience furlough days at all,” said MiraCosta College student Ashley Armstrong, class of 2010.
California State University
Brown’s budget plan also includes severe cuts for the California State University system, which 54 SDA students who graduated in 2010 went on to study at. Brown proposes $500 million in funding cuts, an 18 percent reduction from the 2010 school year, according to Margaret Lutz Chantung, public information officer for CSUSM.
The CSU system will face additional cuts if Brown’s tax increases are not passed. This could result in $1 billion in funding reductions at the CSU, which is over 35 percent of the total funding the system currently receives from the state, according to Chantung.
“The CSU has been working closely with the legislature and Governor’s Office to minimize the impact on enrollment and tuition while considering ways to lower the cost of instruction and administration. However, if the tax extension is not passed, the CSU would be forced to reconsider all options to reduce its budget, including the possibility of additional tuition fee increases,” said Chantung
The CSU system’s efforts to manage the budget cuts appear to be successful, according to previous SDA students. “Yes tuition is higher than it was in years past but in regard to class sizes, quality of instruction, and equipment available, it is outstanding. My classes are all extremely small. They are typically 15-30 people. In classes with labs, we have plenty of equipment available,” said Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Kevin Brice, class of 2010.
“I know that the IME department has not upgraded its computers in a while. However, the computers are good enough to get the job done,” said Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Benjamin Brin, class of 2010.
At CSUSM, budget cuts have resulted in salary reductions of 10 percent for the faculty and staff during the 2009-10 school year, more stringent admissions deadlines enforcement, and higher admissions criteria for students outside their service area, according to Chantung. Basic undergraduate tuition for CSU colleges has nearly doubled over the past five years, from $1260 per semester in 2006-07 to $2442 per semester in 2011-12.
University of California
The University of California system as well has lost a large amount of funding due to budget cuts, and effects would only become more severe if Brown’s bill is not passed. Last year 68 SDA graduates matriculated to a UC school.
Over the past three years, UC San Diego has dealt with a loss of over $225 million in state funding, according to the University Communications and Public Affairs Office.
“The Governor’s proposed budget for 2011-12 would equate to another permanent reduction of at least $60 million,” said Judy Piercey, senior director of marketing and communications for UCSD.
Continued budget cuts at this point will fundamentally impact the academic program of the entire UC system, and could possibly lead to reduced admissions for residents, according to Piercey. The system would look to accommodate more nonresidents, who pay a higher tuition fee.
The fee increases resulting from budget cuts could reduce the availability of a higher education for many students. “I am one of three siblings. With the tuition price getting higher, it’s a bit scary… My parents are very calm about it. I always start thinking, ‘I better graduate faster!’ instead of thinking, ‘I want to embrace all the learning that I can’,” said UC Irvine student Andrea Reyes, class of 2010.
“Tuition fees have gone up which makes me really think whether going to a cheaper community college is a better choice,” said UC Santa Cruz student Jason Ley, class of 2010.
Other potential effects of budget cuts at UCSD include a reduction of faculty and staff positions, financial aid, student services, and outreach programs, as well as enforcing mandatory campus closure days, according to the University Communications and Public Affairs Office.
“The only thing that I’ve seen that resulted from budget cuts was the fact that our varsity baseball and gymnastics got cut, along with funding for the inter-mural sports program,” said UC Berkeley student Max Oltersdorf, class of 2010.
Republicans Oppose Tax, Budget Plan
While conscious of the underfunding in all levels of California’s public education system, both Republican representatives from North San Diego County oppose Brown’s tax increases. They base their stance on the grounds that cutting spending as well as increasing the effectiveness of it are better long-term fixes than tax increases.
“To resolve California’s long-term budget problems we need to find more efficient and less costly ways to provide government services. Most importantly, we need to make California a place where businesses want to invest and create jobs,” Republican State Senator Mark Wyland, North San Diego County, said in an interview with The Mustang.
“I am not currently supporting the Governor’s budget because it does not address California’s structural problems. Instead it relies on $50 billion in tax increases over the next five years. Raising taxes and spending even more money (this budget proposes $26 billion in extra spending over the next three years) will not improve the performance of government. We cannot continue fixing long-term problems with short term solutions like raising taxes,” said Wyland.
Assemblyman Martin Garrick of North San Diego County also opposes Brown’s budget.
“It’s a situation where the downturn in economy makes cutbacks necessary in all levels of government. In education we want to see local educators have more freedom and flexibility to balance the budget. All of the mandates Sacramento passes make it more expensive for school districts to operate,” Mike Zimmerman, chief of staff for Republican Assemblyman Martin Garrick, told The Mustang.
“We need to cut spending and get the government to live within its means. To do this we need to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and spending. There’s billions of dollars in general and special funds; we need to find a better way to use them and to deliver services at cheaper costs,” said Zimmerman.