“This is the third budget we’ve had in 10 months,” complained Barney Finlay finance chief of the Santa Clara County Board of Education. He was talking about $40 million in cuts—12 percent of the total budget for all county school districts—because of the new state budget. And he suspects that there will be more cuts down the line.
“This is the third budget we’ve had in 10 months,” complained Barney Finlay finance chief of the Santa Clara County Board of Education. He was talking about $40 million in cuts—12 percent of the total budget for all county school districts—because of the new state budget. And he suspects that there will be more cuts down the line. Last year’s projected figures missed their target, and he sees no reason why the same thing won’t happen this year. If so, there could be more midyear cuts to the education budget this fall.
In addition to layoffs and no cost-of-living increases, Finlay warns that the loss in funding will lead to an increase in class sizes, reduced access to libraries, and less money for sports programs. Federal stimulus money will help cover some of the costs, but Finlay suspects that many of the school district budgets he is beginning to review will not be balanced. He adds that even with just the current cuts, county schools are in for a very tough year. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
