Schwarzenegger's Education Funding Plan as Expected, SMMUSD Official Says

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By Jonathan Friedman
Lookout News

May 20, 2010 -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal for education funding in his updated 2010-11 state budget plan released on Friday, what is commonly known as the May Revise, fell within the expectations of local School District officials.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will need to make $8.9 million worth of cuts for next fiscal year based on the governor’s plan. The District receives most of its revenue from Sacramento.

“The preliminary look at the May Revise in terms of schools was along the lines with what we had been projecting,” said Jan Maez, SMMUSD’s chief financial officer. “There weren’t significant changes for schools or the district itself.”

Maez said there is “about a $10 million difference between what the State should pay us and what we will receive.”

Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to early childhood services could have an effect on the SMMUSD’s preschool program. Maez said she is still looking into the matter, and has heard conflicting reports on what exactly his funding plan for that area is.

The May Revise is not necessarily an indication of how the final State budget will look. It is merely a starting point to begin discussions for Schwarzenegger and legislators looking to overcome a $19 billion California deficit.

With Sacramento’s budget negotiations tending to be multi-month battles that are not settled until the late summer or even after that, it is highly unlikely the

SMMUSD will know the final State budget prior to finalizing its own financial plan next month. The Board of Education is expected to vote on a budget on June 18.

The District will need to make fewer cuts if the $198-per-parcel tax, Measure A, passes on Tuesday. The tax is expected to generate $5.7 million per year for its five-year lifespan. This means at least some of the 58 teachers, counselors and nurses who received layoff notices in March could keep their jobs. The Board of

Education has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The result of the election could be known by then.

A spokesperson at the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office said that each of the ballots received in the mail-in election must go through signature verification. Ballot counting will begin on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Norwalk. Only ballots with signatures that have been verified will be counted that night. Those that still need signature verification because they were turned in too late will be counted two days later. County officials have until June 4 to finish the process, although the spokesperson said it is doubtful it would take that long.

Measure A ballots, which were mailed to voters last month, must be received at the Registrar by Tuesday at 8 p.m. Voters should make sure to mail their ballots early enough to guarantee they will arrive in Norwalk by that time. Ballots can be dropped off at Santa Monica City Hall on Tuesday prior to 8 p.m. There will also be ballot collection boxes set up on Tuesday at the Malibu Library and Fire Station 99 in Malibu.