State Budget Reaction - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

State Budget Reaction - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Comments on
Governor's Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2013-14

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown's proposed budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year:

"The Governor's budget proposal keeps the promise we made to Californians who supported Proposition 30, and wisely begins to restore some of what our schools have lost. It will take years to bring our education system back to financial health, and I applaud the Governor for beginning that work in earnest.

"I do believe, however, that early education programs—cut deeply in recent years—deserve to share in this recovery as well. They are among our best investments in the future of California's children.

"I look forward to working with our community college partners regarding the future of adult education. I am concerned that severing the longstanding ties these programs have with K-12 districts could diminish access to classes that play a vital role in helping Californians receive the basic education they need to become productive citizens.

"I admire the Governor's determination to move forward with an overhaul of California's confusing system of school finance, and I share his desire to direct more help to students and schools with the greatest needs. At the same time, I remain concerned about the fragile fiscal state of so many school districts and preserving state priorities. I look forward to examining details of the Governor's proposal and working closely with the education community throughout this challenging process."

Related Content

• Education Budget - Public school funding is the largest program in the state budget, receiving more than 40 percent of the state's General Fund resources. The 2012–13 state budget includes $38 billion for kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) education.(truncated)

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues
Statement on Taft School Shooting

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on the Taft High School shooting:

"Our hearts go out to the family and the student who was critically injured today at Taft High School, as well as to the entire school community. I commend the heroic actions of the classroom teacher and the campus supervisor who risked their safety to protect students, no doubt saving lives in the process. I am also grateful for the swift arrival of police and their arrest of the suspect.

"Our schools must be safe places for students, and today's events remind us we have work to do—as a state and as a nation—to reach that goal."

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

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