Sacrament City Unified School District proposes gutting schools
By Cosmo Garvin
cosmog@newsreview.com
 PHOTO BY TK GALLEY |
Say goodbye to school sports, music classes and school-bus transportation, and hello to more crowded classrooms.
At least that’s the scenario facing Sacramento City Unified School District schools. Last week, the school board approved a brutal list of cuts totaling $28 million.
Teachers say the list is at least partly political, an attempt to scare the public and pressure employees to make bigger concessions. They argue that the district still has fat to trim in consultant contracts and other areas. But district officials say the cuts may in fact turn out to be much worse if California voters reject tax measures proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
“The upcoming budget year probably will be the worst one we’ve experienced,” said schools Superintendent Jonathan Raymond last week at a public budget workshop held at C.K. McClatchy High School.
The shortfall occurs mostly because state funding for the next budget year is going to be flat under the governor’s budget proposed earlier this year. Federal stimulus money helped the