News Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Maureen Magee, 619-381-7930
California's Large School Districts Praise Final State Budget, Call on the Federal Government to fully fund the 2020-21 school year
June 29, 2020
Leaders of California's large school districts praised Gov. Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature for reaching a historic compromise to save the upcoming school year. The State Senate passed and Gov. Newsom signed the final budget bill today. The Superintendents of Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Oakland, and Sacramento City unified school districts had called for additional state funding to address both the costs of reopening and the impact of learning loss, especially among historically disadvantaged communities which are the most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Those measures were included in the compromise package announced earlier this week by Gov. Newsom, Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.
"In past economic downturns, declining state budgets have been balanced on the backs of our students. This Governor and Legislature have chosen to go a different way. We have been clear schools will need more money, not less, in order to open in the middle of a global pandemic. That is what has been achieved today: California has come together and used every lever at our disposal to reopen schools in the fall," said Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten, Long Beach Unified Superintendent Chris Steinhauser, Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Jorge Aguilar, and Oakland Unified Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell.
Opening day is now less than 60 days away for many large districts, and school leaders said time is running out for federal leaders to pass additional aid to support the 2020-21 school year.
"State and local leaders have led the response to the COVID-19 crisis. California's school districts have responded heroically to the needs of the communities they serve, distributing free meals and free computers. Gov. Newsom and the State Legislature have done their part. Now, it is time for Congress to act. Local leaders cannot solve national problems alone. Washington, D.C. must be part of the solution," said Superintendents Beutner, Marten, Steinhauser, Aguilar, and Johnson-Trammell.
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