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Message from Superintendent Patrick
Godwin
Regarding the State Budget Crisis-July
16, 2008
Although the state legislature has
not yet passed a budget for the
coming year, the Folsom Cordova
Unified School District had to
submit a budget to the Sacramento
County Office of Education by June
30. Those who have been following
the development of the budget for
our schools know that the Governing
Board had to make difficult choices
caused by the state’s budget crisis.
The
list of reductions recommended by
the Superintendent and approved
by the Board can be found at the
Budget Central website. The
recommendations attempt to maintain
the quality of our programs and
offerings while also protecting the
District’s financial integrity. All
of the reductions have an adverse
impact and the loss of personnel and
materials will ripple across many of
the services and programs provided
by our schools. However, we have
done our best to assure that the
impacts will not unduly impact what
our students experience in the
classroom.
The legislature may ultimately
provide more resources for
California’s schools. However,
there is little evidence that the
current stalemate will be resolved
before students return to school,
and school finance experts are not
optimistic about any significant
increase in funding for the coming
year.
We will continue to work for
improved funding for California's
schools. If there is a silver
lining in the dark storm of this
year's budget crisis, it is that the
public has been made more aware of
the flaws in the state's timelines
and processes for funding schools as
well as the inadequacy of that
funding in comparison to the rest of
the nation. It is simply not
reasonable to expect California’s
schools to maintain the highest
academic standards in the nation
while funded at $850 per student
below the national average. Our
children deserve the lower class
sizes, expanded support services,
and enhanced opportunities provided
to the rest of the nation’s
students.
Perhaps 2008-09 will bring some
needed reform and resources. Please
continue to keep track of the
funding for
California schools and forward your thoughts and suggestions
to us and to our elected state
officials.
Patrick Godwin, Superintendent
Folsom Cordova Unified School
District
125 East Bidwell Street
Folsom, CA 95630
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