Parents and Community,

The financial forecast for California, depending on which economic resource you prefer, either predicts stabilization and recovery in the next 12 months or warns of another 36 months before we begin to recover.  No matter which report you accept or believe, State financial support for education in general, and Banning specifically, is dismally low and unconscionably insufficient.  There has been a continuous decline in funding, for our schools, over the past 3 years, with the most significant drops in 2008-09 and 2009-10.  The graph below illustrates the level of revenue change from 2006 to 2011.

This continued decline in funding has required Banning Unified School District to make extremely difficult decisions that impact the education of our children.  Such decisions include,

Ø  A loss of 40 teachers over 2 years
Ø  Increased class sizes
Ø  Elimination of 50 support personnel positions, e.g. Instructional Aides, Office and Library Clerks, Maintenance Workers
Ø  Cancelled summer school programs
Ø  Reduced before and after school intervention programs
Ø  Reduced auxiliary services, e.g. Outreach assistants, Bilingual Aides

Beyond the effects on the education program in the Banning community, these cuts mean more jobs lost in an area that is already reeling from high unemployment.

Although Governor Schwarzenegger promised he would protect education from further cuts, he has proposed an additional $2.5 billion reduction beyond the $17 billion cut over the last 2 years.  In Banning USD, this additional reduction translates to a loss of $2.3 million in revenue.  Therefore, our district will be forced to make more cuts in personnel and services for our students.  State cuts, when combined with increasing and unpredictable costs in utilities and fuel, threaten an already strained educational system and places California last among the 50 states in per pupil spending for education.

Banning Unified School District has a professional and dedicated workforce and we all understand the state of the State, however education has taken more than its fair share of cuts.  We should not be asked to further reduce personnel, services and programs.  The educational well being of our children is at risk.

As the Banning area struggles to recover from the devastating effects of these dismal economic times, we must continue to press our legislative leaders to protect our education system.  Regardless of the time it takes for an economic recovery to take hold, a strong and high performing education system will be vital to attract businesses and employees that will want to settle in Banning.  Please be assured that, even in times like these, the Banning Unified School District is doing everything it can to provide a quality education for every student.  Our government leaders need to make the same commitment.

Sincerely,

Lynne B. Kennedy, Ph.D.

Superintendent