07.14.2011: Urgent Action Requested
By Walrath, David
State Budget Targets Rural School Districts - Urgent Action Needed
The 2011-12 State Budget agreement includes a possible cut to Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funding. If state revenues are significantly less than anticipated, Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation will not be funded during January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. This is a $248 million cut (50%) for Home-to-School Transportation and Special Education transportation state funding.
The possible cut’s effect is that small and rural school districts, and children from low-income families in rural school districts, would be disproportionately hurt.
SSDA needs your help. We must fight back to protect programs that help rural students. The following links will provide a template for a school board resolution to be sent to Governor Brown, the Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John Perez, as well as your State Senator and State Assembly Member, as well as draft letters.
Your district would lose half of your Home-to-School and Special Education transportation funding if the cuts occur because state revenues decline. SSDA and other rural school districts need your help to persuade the Legislature to protect students in small and rural schools.
Because the cut would be half of your school district’s Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation reimbursement allowance, you can calculate the effect of that cut on your programs. You know the percentage of students that you have eligible for free and reduced price meal and the other information that is proposed for the resolution.
SSDA hopes your district will act prior to August 15 by passing this resolution. SSDA also hopes you will explain to your parents and community the effect the cut would have upon your school district’s budget and upon the transportation services for your students. Please provide them copies of the template letter to send to their State Senator, Assembly Member, and Governor Brown opposing the potential cuts to Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation, as well as harming students from low-income families living in rural California.
Thank you for your support and your efforts to overturn this attack on the students in small and rural school districts.
Draft School Board Resolution
The 2011-12 California State Budget presumes that there will be $4 billion in additional state General Fund revenue. If that state General Fund revenue does not occur, then K-12 school districts will be cut by approximately $1.75 billion. Within the cut for K-12 education, is an elimination of Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funding commencing January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. The ____________________ School District believes the Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation cut disproportionately hurts students from poverty families who live in rural California.
Many of these students come from one parent families, or from two parent families who are working and are unable to provide family transportation for these students. The ______________________ School District has _____ [percent] of students who live more than one mile from school and do not have safe routes to schools.
The ____________________ School District finds and declares:
WHEREAS, the ___________________ School District transports _____ [number] of Home-to-School and Special Education students; and
WHEREAS, the ___________________ School District provides ____________ [number] miles of transportation services for these students; and
WHEREAS, more than ____ percent of the students in the district are from low-income families and are eligible for free and reduced priced lunch and breakfast meals; and
WHEREAS, the Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation services cost the ______________ School District $________ per year; and
WHEREAS, the State of California reimburses $____________ or an amount equivalent to ____%; and
WHEREAS, the ___________________________ School District funds an additional $_________ which is the same as $_____ per pupil; and
WHEREAS, the 2011-12 State Budget potentially could cut the state reimbursement by $___________ therefore causing a further cost to the ___________________ School District’s general fund of $_____ per student; and
WHEREAS, these cuts would fall disproportionately on students from low-income families in rural California; and
WHEREAS, the ___________________________ School District is comprised of ___________ square miles and has _______ students per square mile;
THEREFORE, the ________________________ School District has adopted this resolution in opposition to harming low-income students in rural California for disproportionate program and service reductions compared to all other students in California.
The ________________________ School District urges Governor Brown, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John Perez, Jr., Assembly Member _________________ and State Senator ____________________ to reverse this State Budget action and reverse a disproportionate cut to the students in the ____________________ School District.
Draft Letter for School Districts
The Honorable Edmund G. Brown
Governor, State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable _____________
Member, California State Assembly
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable _____________
Member, California State Senate
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Brown, Assembly Member _________________ and State Senator ____________________
I am writing to object to the targeting of the students in rural California for disproportionate cuts that are possible if state revenues are significantly less than anticipated in the adopted 2011-12 State Budget. The State Budget contains a trigger that would cut all Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funding from January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. ____% of the students in the ________________________ School District require Home-to-School Transportation. Most of the families are unable to provide transportation for their children to go to school. Many of the District’s families are low-income, many are single-parent or two-parent families who are working. They do not have the funds or the time to provide transportation services.
Additionally, many of the students in the ________________ School District live more than a mile from the school campus. There are no sidewalks, no regional transportation, and no bicycle lanes along the rural roads; there are no other options available for the students to transport themselves to school. The elimination of Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funds would endanger student safety going to and from school.
For these reasons, I am writing to urge you to reverse the targeted Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation potential cuts that were part of the State Budget enacted on June 30, 2011.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Draft Letter for Parents and Community
The Honorable Edmund G. Brown
Governor, State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable _____________
Member, California State Assembly
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
The Honorable _____________
Member, California State Senate
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Brown, Assembly Member _________________ and State Senator ____________________
I am writing to object to the targeting of the students in rural California for disproportionate cuts that are possible if state revenues are significantly less than anticipated in the adopted 2011-12 State Budget. The State Budget contains a trigger that would cut all Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funding from January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. ____% of the students in the ________________________ School District require Home-to-School Transportation. Most of the families are unable to provide transportation for their children to go to school. Many of the District’s families are low-income, many are single-parent or two-parent families who are working. They do not have the funds or the time to provide transportation services.
Additionally, many of the students in the ________________ School District live more than a mile from the school campus. I live ____ miles from school. My child needs home-to-school transportation to attend school. There are no sidewalks, no regional transportation, and no bicycle lanes along the rural roads; there are no other options available for the students to transport themselves to school. The elimination of Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation funds would endanger student safety going to and from school.
For these reasons, I am writing to urge you to reverse the targeted Home-to-School and Special Education Transportation potential cuts that were part of the State Budget enacted on June 30, 2011.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
