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Sonoma County’s Superintendent of Schools says the state’s landmark budget shortfall brought on by the coronavirus pandemic will pose “incredible financial challenges” for local schools in the coming year.
Superintendent Steve Herrington’s remarks come a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom shared his revised budget proposal, which features significant cuts to California’s K-12 schools and community colleges.
Herrington said the county Office of Education and local school districts run many programs, including CTE, workforce development, teacher development and special education preschool initiatives, that could see significant cuts as a result of certain grants or funding categories being scaled back. He also noted that all school districts will see a 10 percent cut in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding that makes up the bulk of their budgets.
“These cuts will pose tremendous challenges at a time when districts are already underfunded and being asked to undertake costly social distancing measures in the fall, while also contending with declining enrollment,” he said.
Herrington said he strongly supports the governor’s call for federal aid to compensate for the state’s $54 billion deficit caused by record job losses. The Heroes Act proposal unveiled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asks the federal government for nearly $1 trillion for local and state governments.
Herrington said the county will be working closely with school districts to balance budgets, provide core student services and ensure student and staff safety.
“While these challenges are considerable, I have confidence that local school leaders will do everything they can do to ensure that all students receive the best education possible in the year ahead,” he said. “Now more than ever, our public schools are a critical component of the fabric of our society. Until school campuses reopen, our workforce cannot return and the economy cannot begin to rebound.”
