Schwarzenegger's Education Funding Plan as Expected, SMMUSD Official Says

Schwarzenegger's Education Funding Plan as Expected, SMMUSD Official Says

Schwarzenegger’s Education Funding Plan as Expected, SMMUSD Official Says
By Jonathan Friedman Lookout News May 20, 2010 -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal for education funding in his updated 2010-11 state budget plan released on Friday, what is commonly known as the May Revise, fell within the expectations of local School District officials. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will need to make $8.9 million worth of cuts for next fiscal year based on the governor’s plan. The District receives most of its revenue from Sacramento. “The preliminary look at the May Revise in terms of schools was along the lines with what we had been projecting,” said Jan Maez, SMMUSD’s chief financial officer. “There weren’t significant changes for schools or the district itself.” Maez said there is “about a $10 million difference between what the State should pay us and what we will receive.” Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to early childhood services could have an effect on the SMMUSD’s preschool program. Maez said she is still looking into the matter, and has heard conflicting reports on what exactly his funding plan for that area is. The May Revise is not necessarily an indication of how the final State budget will look. It is merely a starting point to begin discussions for Schwarzenegger and legislators looking to overcome a $19 billion California deficit. With Sacramento’s budget negotiations tending to be multi-month battles that are not settled until the late summer or even after that, it is highly