On November 13, The Desert Sands Unified School District will vote on a resolution calling on the state to end deferring payments to the education budget.
Local Assemblyman Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) recently met with district board members in an effort to gain local support for a Constitutional Amendment that would prohibit deferrals in the annual budget.
"Our schools are being crippled by the Legislature each year when it comes time to balance the budget," Nestande said. "Year after year the education budget is used as a piggy bank to pay for other state programs. We are doing a disservice to our students, teachers, and schools by robbing them of the funds they are constitutionally owed."
Earlier this year Assemblyman Nestande introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 29, which, after enactment, would prohibit the Legislature from deferring education dollars. Assemblyman Nestande has been meeting local school districts over the past few months to gain support for this effort.
Palm Springs Unified, Hemet Unified, Temecula Unified, and Morongo Unified have voted to voice their opposition to this practice.
One out of every five dollars in the education budget is now deferred until after the end of the school year. Deferrals have now exceeded $10 billion dollars annually and school districts are forced to take out loans to cover the losses.
Bill Lucia, President and CEO of EdVoice stated, "It's about time school boards voice their outrage at this practice. We must all work together to stop politicians in Sacramento from using sneaky tricks and budget shell games promoted by special interests to fund their pet projects at the expense of children and teachers in California's public school classrooms."
Riverside will consider adopting the resolution at their next meeting and several other districts are on schedule in the coming months.
