Schools
These Cuts Could Run Deep for Moreland Schools
Discussion of Brown's proposed budget cuts and what they could mean for the local school district was met with stony faces at Wednesday night's town hall meeting.
Around 80 concerned parents and community members listened Wednesday night as Moreland School District Superintendent Glen Ishiwata explained what Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget could mean for Moreland schools.
What it means is more cuts.
The town hall-style meeting, hosted by the Moreland Educational Foundation (MEF), included a seven-member panel comprised of school board members, the MEF president, representatives from the teachers union and clerical union and the superintendent.
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The depth of the cuts to Moreland School District’s budget was the hot-button topic of the night.
“Education is more than test scores, and that is what we’re losing if we can‘t maintain our funding,” said Susanne MacDougall, MEF president. “We are almost at that place in funding where there isn’t anything else to cut. We’re cutting at bare bones.”
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In the last three years, Moreland has faced revenue cuts from the state totaling nearly $9 million, the district reported.
Brown has proposed flat funding for education that prevents cuts in K-12 education. This would be done through a tax extension that would be put to a vote in a special election in June. If the measure doesn’t pass on the ballot, Moreland School District projects a $5 million deficit for the 2012-13 school year.
“People are not feeling how severe it is,” said MacDougall. "What we hear from newspapers and TV is that education will be OK, but it’s not. It’s in shambles."
The discussion has only just begun on what sort of reductions can be made. Increased class sizes and cuts to non-essential programs, like music, arts and sports, are all possibilities.
“We need to consider ways to save money and save it for the long run,” said Superintendent Ishiwata. “Everything that is not required by law will be looked at in order to pass a budget.”
The Moreland Educational Foundation will post a transcript of the questions and answers from Wednesday’s town hall meeting, as well as a sample letter to send to your local elected official. For more information visit MEFhome.org.
