Those making the simple argument that the current CUSD Board is fiscally irresponsible are living in the past.
Rather, the Board planned quite well to weather the recession (essentially 2008 – 2014). It would have been hard to predict how long the recession would last, but yet the Board forecasted the severity and length of the recession correctly. The rainy day fund was there to handle the recessionary level funding by the State.
However, what could not have been anticipated, just as we are crawling out of the recession, was that Sacramento would change its formula to deliberately keep a few certain school districts at recessionary funding levels – indefinitely. The sudden change in the State funding formula for K-12 education will impose multi-million dollar annual deficits for our District.
On a per student basis, the funding to CUSD is now at the bottom, based on the new “LCFF” formula. To put it in perspective, CUSD is now receiving 17% less revenue per student than San Diego Unified – going to over $3.7 Million annually! Prop E is needed to help bridge this gap – and is set up to do so. Remember, our property tax dollars have zero correlation with the money we receive back from the State. This is the fundamental issue, and I have not seen ANYONE from the opposition who can tackle this underfunding issue head on.
If it weren’t for the new LCFF, I doubt we would even be considering the ballot initiative today. I’m a business owner myself, and I hate wasteful government spending (actually I hate any government spending!). But we need to take charge in what is important to us – and based on my research, this is the only practical solution moving forward.
Russ Haley
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