Governor would make deep cuts

While Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget cuts for next year include K-12 education funding, the work for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District this week is how to budget in the wake of the loss of Measure E. That would have raised much needed funds and the loss was a severe disappointment. In their meeting tonight, board members will prepare for the February meeting in which they will address the cuts they must make as a result. Regardless of the immediacy of this work, the shadow of the governor’s proposed cuts will not be far from anyone’s mind.
“We were told that we can expect no cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase next year,” said Superintendent Barbara Young, “and most probably, we can anticipate a 6 percent decrease in funding, overall.” So the loss could be as much as 10 percent but that depends on whether the 6 percent comes before or after they take out the COLA. “We can pretty well assume the actual COLA, much like the consumer price index, is going to be in the mid-4 percent range. So if we don’t get a COLA, or get a negative increase, you could say, 4 percent plus another 6 percent, with a total 10 percent reduction. But the numbers are still jumping around.”
Young emphasized that nothing would be “taken away,” but rather it would be a reduced funding from our present funding this year. “So it means we don’t get a cost of living increase AND we’ll be reduced in funding.” It is too early to draw specific conclusions, she said, as there will be months of negotiations around this budget. “It’s not like the bottom is dropping out. However, this is incredibly serious,” she said, adding that the public needs to pay careful attention, and when it comes time to lobby our legislators, the community should be ready to help: “We may need them.”