CVUSD Budget

It’s time to be responsible and fund fall first. The Acorn’s June 11 editorial suggests that making proactive cuts to the CVUSD budget is advisable. I disagree. I believe that the responsible action is to fund fall first, to reopen schools without cuts. Here’s why. First, a bit of background. The Governor’s May revise was a part of the budget process, not the last word. In response to the Governor’s budget proposal, the Legislature presented alternatives to address the revenue gap and to fund essential priorities, with schools being among the most essential. The budget voted on June 15 will likely incorporate many of the Legislature’s proposals, including drawing on the rainy day fund (set aside for exactly this circumstance) and deferring cuts in anticipation of funds not yet received from state and federal sources. Cutting jobs and programs now would not necessarily forestall or minimize later cuts but it would seriously undermine our capacity to restart learning safely in August. There’s no way around it: cuts would harm kids. To meet the readiness challenge for fall 2020, we need all hands and all minds at work to plan and execute for safety, learning, and social-emotional well-being. The shutdown was swift; reopening requires enormous, complex planning and preparation. We need every single person. They may not be doing their jobs in exactly the way they did them when schools closed in March. They will need to plan, train, and deliver in a new reality. Our students have lost learning and connection since the stay safe at home orders mandated closing schools. We are duty-bound to address those impacts and to welcome students back to a safe, affirming, high-quality learning environment. As students return to school, parents can return to work and the engine of our economy can pick up speed once again. We cannot let our students down. We must meet our responsibility to put students first by finalizing a budget that funds fall first.

-Lauren