All schools are equal but some schools are more equal than others

Proposition 30, a government measure to increase state funding for education, was passed on Nov. 6. After years of deep cuts in educational budgets, all public schools needed money to fulfill educational responsibilities and ensure student learning.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget draft, however, favors and funnels a large fraction of these funds to select schools.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is currently deficit spending.  Prop 30 was supposed to increase school funds in order to relieve debts within school districts such as PVPUSD.

Brown, however, intends to allocate more state funding to lower income districts while offering less relief to high-income districts.

“I understand that there are districts which need extra support that need to be taken into consideration, but it should not be at the expense of students in PVPUSD,” PVPUSD Superintendent Walker Williams said.  “We have to find a balance.”

For the past two years, budget cuts have reduced the number of programs and teachers at Peninsula. Gov. Brown’s plan will force the district to deepen budget cuts, and may result in job terminations for approximately nine teachers at Peninsula.

“They’re keeping us at a bare minimum,” Principal Mitzi Cress said.

Brown’s new budget draft eliminates funding for the Southern California Regional Occupational Center, a resourceful facility at Peninsula and for high schools within the community.

“I believe it was an overlooked error in the budget,” Cress said.  “SCROC is such a big part of the school and surrounding districts and it is so beneficial in helping students towards a career path.”

These SoCal ROC classes teach vocational skills to help students plan their future.

Teachers who instruct SoCal ROC classes are at risk of losing their on-campus positions.

“SoCal ROC offers beneficial programs for our students,” Williams said. “If these programs go away, this hurts our students. Until we see the final budget, however, we do not know the outcome.”

Both Williams and Cress hope to maintain optimism throughout the draft finalization process.

“We hope to continue what we are doing by providing an outstanding program for students to benefit,” Williams said.