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California Department of Education News Release
Release: # 05-132
October 27, 2005
Contact: Hilary McLean
E-mail: communications@cde.ca.gov
Phone: 916-319-0818

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Backs
Federal School Energy Crisis Relief Act

Measure Will Help Schools Address Challenge of Rising Fuel Costs

LOS ANGELES — California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced his support for the federal School Energy Crisis Relief Act, which Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) introduced today.

"This measure will provide much-needed relief for school districts trying to deal with financial challenges resulting from rapid and steep increases in the price of fuel," O'Connell said. "Schools in California have already been struggling to make ends meet after absorbing more than $9 billion in budget cuts over the last five years. The significant hike in fuel costs is punching holes in carefully balanced school district budgets. I commend Congressman Baca for authoring the School Energy Crisis Relief Act, which will help California's poorest school districts weather the fuel-cost spike and prevent cuts to education programs critical to student success."

The School Energy Crisis Relief Act would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Energy to provide school energy grants to school districts that are struggling with the added and unexpected costs their system must assume due to the recent spike in fuel costs. Eligible school districts, based on the number of students eligible for Title 1, would apply through a competitive grant process administered by the U.S. Department of Energy.  Grant awards would be made based on each state's total population of students aged 5-17 and the regional cost of fuel. The U.S. Secretary of Energy would provide grants to eligible districts that demonstrate the greatest percentage increase or expenditure increase in fuel costs over a specific time period during the 2005-06 school year when compared to their fuel costs for the same time period last year. More than 180 school districts in California would qualify to apply for the energy grants (please see the attachment below listing the school districts).

"At a time when escalating fuel costs are creating budget shortfalls for many school districts, America cannot afford to compromise the education of our nation's children. We must provide relief to these school districts most in need now," said Congressman Baca. "Gas-price hikes threaten to exhaust the budgets of school districts caught unprepared for higher fuel costs. As a result, precious education dollars are being spent to fill the tanks of school buses and to heat classrooms."

The School Energy Crisis Relief Act is also supported by the National School Boards Association and the Council of the Great City Schools.

# # # #

Attachment

List of School Districts

Local Educational Agency (California)

Title I,
Part A
Eligible
Children

Total
Children
Aged 5-17

Percent of
Children
Eligible for
Title I-A

ABC Unified

2,741

23,463

11.7%

Alhambra City Elementary

2,687

13,973

19.2%

Alisal Union Elementary

2,494

8,915

28.0%

Allensworth Elementary

42

108

38.9%

Alpaugh Unified

154

297

51.9%

Alta Vista Elementary

380

779

48.8%

Alum Rock Union Elementary

2,785

18,486

15.1%

Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary

127

355

35.8%

Alvina Elementary

49

130

37.7%

Alvord Unified

3,411

22,666

15.0%

Anaheim Elementary

6,290

27,511

22.9%

Anaheim Union High

4,812

30,649

15.7%

Antelope Valley Union High

3,121

19,940

15.7%

Apple Valley Unified

3,254

14,812

22.0%

Arvin Union Elementary

1,008

2,918

34.5%

Azusa Unified

2,727

14,698

18.6%

Bakersfield City Elementary

12,256

31,130

39.4%

Baldwin Park Unified

3,730

19,156

19.5%

Ballico-Cressey Elementary

110

321

34.3%

Beardsley Elementary

716

2,066

34.7%

Bellflower Unified

2,967

17,158

17.3%

Bitterwater-Tully Union Elementary

17

25

68.0%

Brawley Elementary

1,714

4,159

41.2%

Buena Vista Elementary

24

72

33.3%

Burnt Ranch Elementary

17

41

41.5%

Buttonwillow Union Elementary

148

402

36.8%

Cajon Valley Union Elementary

4,359

24,026

18.1%

Calexico Unified

2,536

7,332

34.6%

Capistrano Unified

3,346

57,155

5.9%

Cascade Union Elementary

799

2,200

36.3%

Chino Valley Unified

2,710

36,146

7.5%

Chula Vista Elementary

3,523

26,248

13.4%

Clovis Unified

3,709

33,038

11.2%

Coachella Valley Unified

5,762

14,985

38.5%

Colton Joint Unified

4,981

24,165

20.6%

Columbine Elementary

39

69

56.5%

Compton Unified

13,647

40,184

34.0%

Corcoran Joint Unified

1,299

3,367

38.6%

Corona-Norco Unified

4,009

40,683

9.9%

Cox Bar Elementary

15

36

41.7%

Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified

1,678

4,054

41.4%

Cuyama Joint Unified

112

307

36.5%

Del Paso Heights Elementary

1,090

2,957

36.9%

Delano Union Elementary

2,692

7,305

36.9%

Desert Sands Unified

5,075

25,976

19.5%

Di Giorgio Elementary

66

189

34.9%

Dinuba Unified

1,796

5,272

34.1%

Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified

975

2,865

34.0%

Downey Unified

3,135

24,870

12.6%

Earlimart Elementary

1,036

2,010

51.5%

East Side Union High

2,661

26,421

10.1%

El Centro Elementary

2,302

6,807

33.8%

El Monte City Elementary

3,685

13,888

26.5%

Elk Grove Unified

7,602

52,322

14.5%

Escondido Union Elementary

3,994

23,867

16.7%

Fairfax Elementary

541

1,548

34.9%

Fairfield-Suisun Unified

3,134

26,373

11.9%

Farmersville Unified

886

2,364

37.5%

Feather Falls Union Elementary

21

46

45.7%

Flournoy Union Elementary

17

25

68.0%

Fontana Unified

8,154

40,563

20.1%

Fresno Unified

31,967

86,091

37.1%

Garden Grove Unified

10,882

55,266

19.7%

Gazelle Union Elementary

19

58

32.8%

General Shafter Elementary

81

227

35.7%

Gerber Union Elementary

205

620

33.1%

Glendale Unified

7,681

37,216

20.6%

Golden Feather Union Elementary

111

333

33.3%

Grant Joint Union High

3,965

15,866

25.0%

Hacienda La Puente Unified

3,599

26,232

13.7%

Hawthorne Elementary

3,452

13,033

26.5%

Hayward Unified

2,922

30,568

9.6%

Hemet Unified

4,208

19,378

21.7%

Hesperia Unified

2,766

17,319

16.0%

Indian Springs Elementary

20

48

41.7%

Inglewood Unified

7,902

26,143

30.2%

Jurupa Unified

4,831

21,862

22.1%

Kern Union High

6,207

29,012

21.4%

Kings Canyon Joint Unified

2,918

9,293

31.4%

Kings River Union Elementary

286

744

38.4%

Klamath River Union Elementary

20

55

36.4%

Lake Elsinore Unified

2,913

20,028

14.5%

Lakeside Union Elementary

218

544

40.1%

Lamont Elementary

986

2,878

34.3%

Lancaster Elementary

3,894

17,054

22.8%

Lassen View Union Elementary

135

364

37.1%

Lennox Elementary

2,217

6,400

34.6%

Lewiston Elementary

69

211

32.7%

Lindsay Unified

1,573

3,816

41.2%

Live Oak Unified

675

2,023

33.4%

Lodi Unified

6,539

31,974

20.5%

Long Beach Unified

29,349

105,425

27.8%

Los Angeles Unified

236,403

872,296

27.1%

Lost Hills Union Elementary

155

462

33.5%

Lynwood Unified

4,983

19,563

25.5%

Madera Unified

5,944

17,350

34.3%

Manchester Union Elementary

39

116

33.6%

Manton Joint Union Elementary

18

47

38.3%

Maple Elementary

32

97

33.0%

Marysville Joint Unified

3,392

11,568

29.3%

McFarland Unified

1,115

2,748

40.6%

Mendota Unified

895

2,392

37.4%

Merced City Elementary

4,540

13,686

33.2%

Merced Union High

2,555

9,546

26.8%

Modesto City Elementary

6,205

21,100

29.4%

Modesto City High

2,685

15,274

17.6%

Montebello Unified

9,653

38,267

25.2%

Moreno Valley Unified

6,929

37,627

18.4%

Mountain View Elementary

3,736

11,730

31.8%

Mt. Diablo Unified

3,462

45,797

7.6%

Mulberry Elementary

12

28

42.9%

Needles Unified

478

1,383

34.6%

New Hope Elementary

108

292

37.0%

Newport-Mesa Unified

3,252

27,371

11.9%

North Sacramento Elementary

2,491

6,768

36.8%

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified

3,466

27,618

12.5%

Oakland Unified

17,387

73,030

23.8%

Oceanside Unified

4,478

25,771

17.4%

Ontario-Montclair Elementary

6,997

31,395

22.3%

Orange Center Elementary

201

381

52.8%

Orange Unified

4,065

40,862

9.9%

Oro Grande Elementary

60

138

43.5%

Oroville City Elementary

1,041

3,071

33.9%

Oxnard Elementary

3,703

19,170

19.3%

Pajaro Valley Joint Unified

4,658

24,219

19.2%

Palermo Union Elementary

474

1,253

37.8%

Palm Springs Unified

5,109

23,884

21.4%

Palmdale Elementary

5,012

23,053

21.7%

Palo Verde Union Elementary

200

480

41.7%

Paramount Unified

4,649

19,930

23.3%

Parlier Unified

1,239

3,288

37.7%

Pasadena Unified

6,221

33,681

18.5%

Pixley Union Elementary

329

778

42.3%

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

2,505

31,212

8.0%

Planada Elementary

380

1,028

37.0%

Plum Valley Elementary

32

77

41.6%

Pomona Unified

9,243

41,407

22.3%

Pond Union Elementary

177

114

155.3%

Porterville Unified

4,024

10,706

37.6%

Raisin City Elementary

144

335

43.0%

Redlands Unified

3,118

22,797

13.7%

Reef-Sunset Unified

943

2,793

33.8%

Rialto Unified

6,851

31,975

21.4%

Richgrove Elementary

351

730

48.1%

Richland-Lerdo Union Elementary

967

2,852

33.9%

Rio Linda Union Elementary

2,920

12,322

23.7%

Riverside Unified

8,029

43,805

18.3%

Rockford Elementary

99

254

39.0%

Rowland Unified

3,673

23,946

15.3%

Sacramento City Unified

16,395

64,611

25.4%

Salinas Union High

2,912

15,376

18.9%

San Bernardino City Unified

19,563

58,309

33.6%

San Diego City Unified

34,829

162,704

21.4%

San Francisco Unified

11,397

78,935

14.4%

San Jose Unified

4,986

40,968

12.2%

San Juan Unified

6,960

59,296

11.7%

San Lucas Union Elementary

49

137

35.8%

San Pasqual Valley Unified

435

895

48.6%

San Ysidro Elementary

1,261

3,799

33.2%

Santa Ana Unified

14,917

64,524

23.1%

Santa Maria-Bonita Elementary

4,017

13,217

30.4%

Semitropic Elementary

37

90

41.1%

Silver Fork Elementary

12

18

66.7%

Stockton City Unified

13,783

46,356

29.7%

Stone Corral Elementary

71

134

53.0%

Sunnyside Union Elementary

205

484

42.4%

Sweetwater Union High

5,555

33,014

16.8%

Terra Bella Union Elementary

545

1,401

38.9%

Thermalito Union Elementary

1,275

2,563

49.7%

Traver Joint Elementary

103

249

41.4%

Tulare City Elementary

2,565

8,580

29.9%

Tulelake Basin Joint Unified

220

600

36.7%

Vallejo City Unified

3,230

25,283

12.8%

Ventura Unified

2,667

21,407

12.5%

Vineland Elementary

411

933

44.1%

Visalia Unified

6,794

26,501

25.6%

Vista Unified

4,402

30,898

14.2%

Wasco Union Elementary

1,086

3,301

32.9%

Washington Union High

504

1,178

42.8%

Weaver Union Elementary

569

1,463

38.9%

West Contra Costa Unified

7,560

45,404

16.7%

West Fresno Elementary

742

1,125

66.0%

West Park Elementary

104

285

36.5%

Westmorland Union Elementary

221

468

47.2%

Winton Elementary

743

1,919

38.7%

Woodlake Union Elementary

724

1,688

42.9%

Woodville Elementary

384

891

43.1%

 

# # # #


Jack O'Connell — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

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