Articles and Evidence on Budget cuts in LAUSD Where have we been?

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) faces its 5th consecutive year of budget deficits, facing a $557 Million deficit in 2012-13. If you added up our deficits since 2008-09, youd get over $2.8 Billion! Each year, California continues to balance the States budget on the backs of our children. State funding for education has suffered cuts of 16%, beginning in 2008-09. No other portion of the State Budget has been cut as much as K-12 education. In 1965, California ranked 5th in the nation in per student funding. Today, we are ranked 46th in the nation in funding per student and 50th in student to teacher ratios. Research and common sense demand that we need a longer school year not a shorter one lower class sizes not higher ones stability for our professional teachers, administrators, and classified staff not layoff notices What are we facing now? The Governors Budget Proposals for 2012-13 cuts LAUSDs transportation budget and relies on a temporary tax initiative 100% reduction of home to school transportation funding The Governors budget proposal depends on the passage of a November temporary tax which will pay down existing deferrals (money owed to schools already), there will be no new funding for schools, next year What if the Governors tax measure fails? Education is cut an additional $2.4 billion, about $370 per student (average daily attendance (ADA)) Anonymous."2012-2013 BUDGET OVERVIEW".LAUSD.net, Octobet 9, 2013. <http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/Office_of_Communications/LAUSD_201213_Budget_Overview_Document.pdf>

LAUSD Budget Plan Approved: Worst-Case Scenario Cuts Depend On Union & Voters Now
The Los Angeles Board of Education approved a worst-case-scenario budget-balancing plan Tuesday that would close all adult schools and cut hundreds of other programs.

If executed, the plan would eliminate some after-school programs, arts programs, early education centers, English-language learners programs, magnet and academic decathlon programs and eliminate some librarian jobs, the Daily News reports. One consensus between protestors, the teachers union and the district is that Sacramento, as board member Nury Martinez was quoted in a district press release, "needs to stop balancing their budget on the backs of our kids at LAUSD." Miles, "LAUSD Budget Plan Approved: Worst-Case Scenario Cuts Depend On Union & Voters Now". The Huffington Post, 03/14/2012.

LAUSD budget cuts affecting student education.

The cutback of millions of dollars on student education has spread discontent among parents, students, and teachers alike. I cant believe that we used to have books in good condition and small class sizes. Now, some of the textbooks we have at school are falling apart and dont even have covers, said one student. One of LAUSDs main motto is to help students get a great education to be successful later on as an adult. But looking at the conditions nowdays, LAUSD has not been able to live up to their word. I am first of all really disappointed that LAUSD doesnt seem to place great importance on student education.I feel that the LAUSD budget cuts are hurting the students that are part of LAUSD and also their education and future. I also think that LAUSD should put more effort into trying to benefit the district instead of just announcing We have less money now and cutting teachers and reducing supplies, said Shinyoung Park, a freshman at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES). She also expressed that students arent getting the level of education that they deserve. In her classrooms, there were clear evidence of what she meantbiology textbooks with missing pages, overcroweded classrooms, very old edition textbooks and less educational programs. However, students dont seem to be the only ones feeling this way. For example, in one of the history classrooms at LACES, there is a sign up that reads Superintendant Deasy gets a raise, we get pink slips. The number of teachers are decreasing and decreasing, while the number of overcrowed classrooms are increasing more and more. One student expressed, Its perfectly true, and it is unfair that someone else is getting rewarded while this is happening. However LAUSD seems to have realized the failure of its policies as well. Board president Mnica Garca said, I want to express the sadness of approving a budget that has less dollars and does the best we can to serve children well in a difficult time, but does not really honor the promise of what we have said we want for our children. But are they really doing the best they can? Lee. "LAUSD budget cuts affecting student education." Joongang Student Reporters. November 9, 2012.