May 21, 2009: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement following the failure of five of six statewide propositions during the May special election to deal with the widening state budget crisis:
"We are in a period of unprecedented fiscal crisis in our state, and Tuesday's election results dug our hole deeper.
"The Governor is proposing to solve the shortfall by imposing massive budget cuts to public education. If his proposal succeeds, our schools and districts will be forced to take a debilitating funding hit of about $1.4 billion in just the last month of this school year. And when school is back in session this fall, education statewide is facing another $3.3 billion in cuts for next year.
"It doesn't take much to realize what these cuts mean for education. School leaders are going to be doing all they can just to keep the lights on and the doors open. I fear that the progress we've made for seven years is likely to be completely derailed and our efforts to close the achievement gap will be an afterthought.
"And even if we somehow manage to come up with a workable budget, it will take major budget reforms to get us moving again in the right direction. I have called for passage of a constitutional amendment to help local districts more easily pass parcel taxes and I have called for a majority vote budget to end gridlock and increase budget accountability. But we all must be open to new ideas and reforms that will help us get California back on track."
Year 2009 News Releases
From State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.
- July 2: Prop. 98 Suspension Reaction.
- June 30: More School Districts on Early Warning List.
- June 25: Summer Meal Sites.
- June 19: Budget Cuts and Summer Safety Concerns.
- June 16: Vote to Eliminate CAHSEE.
- June 12: Federal Relief for Lost Funding.
- June 3: Impact of Budget Cuts to Education.
- June 2: Response to Governor's Budget Speech.
- May 29: More Education Budget Cuts Proposed.
- May 19: Special Election Reaction.
- May 14: May Budget Revision Cuts Billions from Schools.
- May 8: Economic Recovery Funds for Education.
- May 4: Federal Recovery Dollars for Title I & Special Ed.
- April 28: Equipment Assistance Grants Available.
- April 18: State Fiscal Stabilization Funds Application.
- April 17: State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.
- April 9: State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Application.
- April 1: Federal Recovery Funds Awarded.
- March 14: Record Number of Teacher Layoff Notices - Year 2009.
- March 10: President Obama's Education Blueprint - Year 2009.
- February 19: State Budget Impact on Education - Year 2009.
- February 18: Education Funding in Proposed State Budget - Year 2009.
- February 10: Senate Passes Federal Stimulus Package - Year 2009.
State Budget for 2008-09
Year 2008 News Releases
From State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.
- December 31: Reaction to Governor's Proposed Budget - Year 2008.
- December 18: O'Connell Condemns Governor's Veto Threat - Year 2008.
- November 17: CSU Budget Crisis - Year 2008.
- November 6: Proposed State Budget Cuts - Year 2008.
- October 28: Budget Crisis Response - Year 2008.
- October 3: Potential Impact of National Credit Crunch.
- September 23: State Budget's Effect on Education.
- September 18: Reimbursement for Child Care Agencies.
- September 16: State Budget Veto Threat Response.
- September 15: Budget Does Not Address Long-Term Needs.
- September 13: State Budget and Child Care Centers.
- September 8: State Senate Budget Vote.
- July 31: O'Connell Responds to Executive Order.
- July 29: O'Connell Urges Budget Passage.
- July 28: State Budget Impasse Effect on Child Care.
- July 8: Budget Cut Effects on Summer School.
- June 26: Intervention Bill SB 606.
- June 4: Senate Budget Plan Prioritizes Education.
- May 30: Assembly Budget Proposal Protects Education.
- May 14: Response to Governor's May Revision.
- May 7: National School Nurses Day.
- April 30: Budget Cuts on Classified School Employees.
- April 4: Proposed Budget Cut Impact.
- March 28: Budget Cuts and Palm Springs.
- March 27: Education Budget Cuts in Fresno.
- March 24: School Budget Cuts in San Diego.
- March 14: Education Excellence Report.
- March 14: Budget Cuts and Teacher Layoffs.
- March 7: State Budget Cuts and Student Protests.
- February 22: Proposed Cuts to Education Funding.
- February 20: Legislative Analyst's Office Budget Analysis.
- February 6: Local School Bond Approvals.
- February 5: Federal Budget Reaction.
- January 10: Comments on Governor's FY 2008-09 Budget.
