2008/09 Budget

Background:

. At the December 12, 2007, staff presented the First Interim report which showed the District was on sound financial ground.

On Janaury 10, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger released his State Budget proposal for 2008-09 fiscal year.

The proposed budget suspends Prop 98 and reduces base funding (i.e., current year funding) for Revenue Limit and Categorical Programs, including Special Education, Child Development, Adult Education and Food & Nutrition.

Governor's Budget Proposal

• Suspends Proposition 98 and reduces by $4 billion; the suspension will require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to be enacted.
• In the 20 years since Prop 98 was passed, it has been suspended only once. That suspension and this proposed suspension are the work of the same Governor and the Legislature.

If the Governor's proposed budget is passed by Legislature, Alameda Unified will lose over $4,000,000 in revenue in 2008/09 school year.

Sections

2/26 BOE Meeting Financial Overview
Responses to Suggestions/Questions Gathered During the Budget Reduction Process in February
2007/08 First Interim Financial Report
2007 Board Approved Reductions of $1,390,000
2006 Board Approved Reductions of $800,000
2005 Board Approved Reductions of $1,600,000
2003 Board Approved Reductions of $1,700,000
2001 Board Approved Reductions of $1,600,000
Alameda County Revenue Limit by District (2004/05)
AUSD Chart of Revenue and Expense - 2000 to 2006
Governor's 2008/09 State Budget Proposal
Measure H Items Restored with June 30 Approved AUSD Budget

Community Input

Senator Feinstein
Senator Boxer
U.S. Representative Pete Stark

Suggested topics for Federal representatives include:

• improving funding Special Education (AUSD services provides exceed reimsbursement by over $3 million a year)
• improving funding for No Child Left Behind (AUSD has no real estimate of costs with compliance with the Federal legislation)
• improving funding for JROTC (AUSD estimates current expenditures of $95,000 over reimsbursement from the Federal government)

Suggested topics for State representatives include:

PTA Advocacy Letters

• not suspending Prop 98
• improving funding to equalize funding between districts (AUSD receives up to $1000 less than other districts in Alameda county)
• prevent the "take back" of up to $1.5 million of constitutionally guaranteed reimbursement for mandated costs (AUSD received $1.5 million in 06/07 for 5 years of unpaid mandated costs. Currently, the state is auditing for compliance of documentation for reimbursement of mandated costs. However, the auditors are applying unreasonable documentation standards for reimbursements. As a result, auditors are disallowing up to 100% of a District reimbursement claims. On average, audits are recovering over 85% of the reimbursement amount given to a Distrcit.)

Contact:

Political\Legal Activities :

Alameda For Better Schools Wikispace

Contact Alameda For Better Schools: AlamedaSchools@Alamedanet.net

Keep Alameda Schools Excellent PAC for Measure H

Contact Keep Alameda School Excellent: contact@alamedaschools.org

StateCalifornia Legislative Analysts Office Budget Analysis of 2006/07 K-12 Education Funding

Ed Data
Independent research and information on California education issues

EdSource Online
Information on Califronia state funding, school budgets and legislation

California School Finance
Comprehenisve funding on California school funding

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Last modified: February, 2008

Disclaimer: This website is the sole responsibility of Mike McMahon. It does not represent any official opinions, statement of facts or positions of the Alameda Unified School District. Its sole purpose is to disseminate information to interested individuals in the Alameda community.