1. The California State PTA is launching a Caravan for Kids - the largest mobilization of parents in California history - to protect school children from harmful funding cuts. PTA members across California are rallying in their communities and traveling to Sacramento on April 27-28 to give children a voice at the State Capitol.
   
   
2. California's schools have suffered many years of severe under-funding. California's school spending is among the lowest in the nation.
   A recent study by the RAND Corporation finds that California's K-12 school system has fallen from being a national leader 30 years ago in nearly every objective category to its current ranking near the bottom of all 50 states. California ranks first in the nation in number of school-age children, and for 10 years has spent "well below" the national average per student.
   
   
3. Funding cuts have caused increased class sizes and the loss of teachers, librarians, school nurses and education programs vital to our children. California has some of the most overcrowded classrooms, and the lowest number of librarians and counselors per student in the nation. Many schools lack basic supplies and instructional materials, and nearly one of every 10 students in California attends a school with no nurse on staff.
   
   
4. The Governor's proposed education budget breaks a promise that kids are counting on and would further harm our schools.
   It breaks the promise he made only one year ago to California's schools to restore money due under Proposition 98, a voter-approved Constitutional measure that guarantees a minimum funding level for our schools.
   
   Last year, the Governor withheld $2 billion from schools in a one-time suspension of Proposition 98. Education community leaders agreed to forego these funds in order to avoid more harmful cuts in future years, provided that the withheld funds be restored this year. Schools across the state relied upon and budgeted for this repayment. Despite the fact that state revenues are actually higher this year than projected when the promise was made, Governor Schwarzenegger wants to renege on this promise.
   
   Background: Don't be fooled by claims that this budget increases funding to schools. While it does include a slight increase in actual dollars, that increase is offset by higher cost-of-living expenditures that school districts are required to make. In addition, this budget tries to shift teacher pension costs from the state payroll onto local schools. The proposed per-student increase of state funds in the 2005-06 budget is about 2.1%, which is less than school districts' cost-of-living increase in expenditures of 3.9% -- again, resulting in net lost revenue for schools and additional cuts. What the Governor's education budget gives with one hand, it takes with the other.
   
   
5. It's time to renew California's commitment to education and properly invest in our children's education to make California's public schools the best in the nation again! PTA is calling upon our elected officials to do two things:
   
   
   • Keep the promise made last year and restore and affirm all of the provisions included in Proposition 98; delete the provision shifting state education costs to local school districts; and include a cost of living increase that reflects the real costs facing schools today.
     
     
   • Make a commitment to our children's future by developing and supporting a plan to ensure that student achievement and per pupil funding in California schools shall place among the top ten states in our nation again by 2015. Let's make California schools great again.
     
     

Let's make California's schools great again!

Contact Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) at 310-586-4499 for additional information, or e-mail: info@excellentpublicschools.org.

Cecelia Mansfield, CA PTA Director of Legislation (Ceceliaim@aol.com) and Dinah Showman, CA PTA Director of Communications (Dinah@showman.org)