The Governor’s proposed cuts to education funding are already having a dramatic impact on school districts throughout California, as they struggle to plan their budgets based on worst-case scenarios and uncertain numbers. The following is a sampling of specific impacts on California’s ten largest school districts, as well as San Diego County districts, based on media accounts.

Carlsbad Unified School District: With the district facing $4.5 million in cuts, the superintendent vows to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible, but is looking at possible cuts in personnel, including counselors, nurses, teachers aids, maintenance staff. The school board president notes, “Frankly, I see no easy cuts, which every dollar cut is going to negatively impact our students and staff.” Since learning of the proposed cuts, a group of parents, teachers, students and business leaders in the area have implemented what they call a “full-court press” of lobbying, letter-writing, phone calls and letters to the editor in an effort to persuade the governor and legislators to protect Prop. 98 funding. [North County Times, 1/21/08,1/29/08, 1/31/08]

Fresno Unified School District: Fresno officials hope to offset proposed cuts to the district from their reserves, thus avoiding laying off teachers or increasing class sizes. But they note that the possible cuts of $27 million from the district budget will have definite impacts on programs in the district. [KMPH-TV, 2/12/08; KSEE-TV, 2/13/08]

Long Beach Unified School District: Proposed state cuts would translate into “deep and damaging” cuts to Long Beach schools of about $3 million this year, and nearly $56 million next year. The board of education recently voted to close an elementary school to save the district about $1 million. But the cuts still threaten teachers, class sizes, meals for disadvantages children and special needs education. As one district official noted, “Our schools are being held more accountable than ever before for producing measurable gains in student achievement. Ironically, we are supposed to do that with revenues far below what most other states provide for educating their youth, and now the governor proposes cutting that funding even farther.” [Long Beach Press-Telegram, 1/22/08; Gazette Newspapers, 1/24/08; Los Angeles Times, 2/21/08]

Los Angeles Unified School District: The state’s largest district is facing $560-million in potential cuts to its budget through 2008-09. The combined sums, according to news reports, would amount to the district’s biggest shortfall ever, and would be equivalent to closing 22 high schools, firing 5,750 employees or instituting an 8% pay cut for all employees. The district’s superintendent notes, “When I first saw the governor’s proposed budget, quite frankly, I was in a state of shock.” [Los Angeles Times, 2/21/08]

Oakland Unified School District: The state-run district, which has been struggling to regain local control, may be forced to cut programs and services such as electives, counseling and athletics if forced to cut the projected $15 million from its budget. [Alameda Times-Star, 2/14/08]

Oceanside Unified School District: Estimates of possible cuts for Oceanside range from $8.8 to $14 million in recent news reports. To deal with this possibility, the district is considering proposals that include laying off teachers, increasing class sizes, cutting counselors and literacy coaches, eliminating full-day kindergarten and elementary music programs, and reducing busing. The district superintendent says, “This is my 33rd year in education and this is about as bad as I’ve seen.” [San Diego Union Tribune, 2/6/08, 2/13/08; North County Times, 1/21/08]

Poway Unified School District: The district would need to cut $12 million in spending next year under proposed cuts. The district’s superintendent notes that, “it’s going to have a dramatic impact on our education program” and notes that the district will need to look at increasing class sizes and reducing support staff. [North County Times, 1/21/08]

San Bernardino City Unified: The district faces $17 million in possible cuts next year. And while the impact will be lessened by money the district is receiving from the Quality Education Investment Act, the superintendent still anticipates that of the district’s 3,800 teachers, 134 may need to be eliminated due to the state budget cuts, and another 137 due to declining enrollment. [San Bernardino County Sun, 2/12/08]

San Diego County Schools: County officials recently warned that the nearly $360 million in cuts that the county’s 42 public school districts stand to face if the proposed budget is approved will “be devastating for all of us.” The cuts include $80 million from the San Diego Unified School District, $12 million from Sweetwater Union High School District, $14 million from Poway Unified School District, $8 million from Vista Unified School District, and $12 million from the Grossmont Unified School District. These are the largest cuts in state funding since the 1978 passage of Prop. 13. As one official from SDUSD noted, “If we have to cut $80 million from our budget, the sky will have fallen. It will have fallen on a lot of our children.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/12/08, 2/13/08]

San Dieguito Union High School District: The district would need to cut $3.7 million if the governor’s proposed budget is adopted. [North County Times, 1/21/08]

San Francisco Unified School District: Facing cuts of as much as $40 million, the district’s school board recently voted to divert $6 million in money from a measure approved by voters in 2004, intended for buying computers and paying for counselors, to reserves in anticipation of drastic cuts to next year’s budget. They also are expected to place another parcel tax measure on the June ballot to bridge the shortfall. In the meantime, the district is working on a deal with the city to draw on its “rainy day” fund to help make up about $30 million of the cuts. But if that deal is not approved, the district may have to lay off up to 500 teachers. School board members said they “will be marching on Sacramento to fight the budget cuts”, but in the meantime are preparing for “a fiscal crisis.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 1/23/08, 2/12/08; Los Angeles Times, 2/21/08]

San Juan Unified School District (Sacramento area): The district estimates a loss of $3 million from their summer school programs alone, leading the school board to consider limiting participation in summer school to remedial classes only. And one trustee warned, “This is the front of the tsunami. This issue is the water receding, and the tsunami is impending.” [Sacramento Bee, 2/11/08, 2/13/08]

Santa Ana Unified School District: The district anticipates it would need to cut $26.6 million from the district’s budget, in addition to the $14.8 million they cut in December, 2007. [Orange County Register, 1/25/08]

Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District: The district faces $4 million in cuts if the governor’s proposed budget is adopted, and is considering the closure of an elementary school. The superintendent calls the cuts “devastating” and notes that the district has already scaled back its spending dramatically over the past five or six years. District official have already decided not to renew next year’s contract with temporary teachers, and warn that further layoffs will likely be needed by the time the final budget is approved. [North County Times, 1/21/08, 2/13/08]

Vista Unified School District: Officials expect the district to receive $4 million less in state funding than expected next year, and the chief financial officer notes that “there’s no way we would be able to handle that kind of reduction without making cuts.” She notes that they will make every effort to keep cuts away from the classroom, but that may be difficult, as the district has already cut $28 million in planned expenditures over the past several years due to decreased state revenues. [North County Times, 1/21/08]

For an expanded list of districts, go to http://tinyurl.com/22jchj.