California schools face funding crisis

[Judi Lynn]

California schools face funding crisis
By Beth Fouhy, Associated Press Writer, 4/9/2004

SAN FRANCISCO -- California public schools once ranked among the best-funded in the country, but a growing number of districts in the nation's largest public school system now say they're in full-blown crisis mode.

Seven warned the state they can't pay their bills this year, and 55 others say they may fall short of cash in the next three years. In one extreme example, the West Contra Costa Unified School District eliminated all sports, closed its libraries and laid off more than 200 employees last month.

"We are getting a call or an e-mail a day from districts asking for management assistance," said Tom Henry, whose Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team offers state management help to struggling schools.

The problem, many say, is a political environment that pays lip service to the importance of education but doesn't deliver the resources needed for even basic services.

"There's never been a time that I've been more concerned, more worried, and more fearful of the impact of budget cuts," said Brett McFadden of the Association of California School Administrators. "We have a situation in California where there's a huge disconnect between what the electorate wants and what the electorate is willing to pay for, and Republicans and Democrats alike need to admit it."
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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/04/09/california_schools_face_funding_crisis_1081495111/