State budget impasse may affect Moorpark school programs
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

The state of California has moved into its second month without a finalized budget because agreement on a plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is stalled in the state Senate.

The impasse hasn't yet affected local public schools, but that could change if the deadlock continues, according to Larry Brown, assistant superintendent of business services for the Moorpark Unified School District.

"We adopted our budget in June like we had to, but the state doesn't do the same. It's irritating that legislators who pass all these laws which we have to follow don't seem to follow the laws they set," Brown said.

Political differences are not an excuse, said Brown. "They (state officials) must compromise," he said.

But local Republican leaders don't agree.

The proposed budget isn't balanced, and "it will cause more problems if we don't do something about it now," said Assemblymember Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark), who voted against the budget that passed in the Assembly but which is still being argued at the Senate level.

"Schools are asked to operate within a budget and that's not what's happening in Sacramento, where we spend more money than we're getting," said the former schoolteacher.

The budget must be approved by both the Assembly and the Senate, but if it's approved as proposed, Strickland said, it will create a $5billion deficit for next year.

"School districts should be concerned because if problems aren't addressed this year there will be less money next year and the year after for education," she said.

Public schools are afforded some protection by Proposition 98, which mandates minimum funding by the state. They also receive base funding called a "revenue limit" from property taxes.

Since Moorpark public schools depend on the state for most of their funding allocations, local school officials created a budget based on what they assume the legislature will do, said David Pollock, trustee for the school district.

"Property tax funding is not dependent on the state budget, so local schools are not in jeopardy of closing. But there are over 100 state and federal categorical programs, and MUSD takes advantage of many of them," said Pollock, who works for the California School Board Association.

The district's annual budget this year is $60 million. Of that figure about $6 million goes to Special Purpose Apportionments for programs such as special education, transportation, gifted and talented education, adult education and economic impact aid.

The delay in the state budget approval process may cause the allocation of the funds for these programs to be temporarily withheld, said district superintendent Ellen Smith.

But as an employer the school district is obligated to pay employees in these programs regardless of whether the state allocation is received.

"We also have the responsibility to provide certain mandated services to students," Smith said.

School district officials are prepared to meet all of the fiduciary responsibilities of the district in the near future, the superintendent said.

"But for the sake of all Californians, I hope the state budget will be resolved very soon," Smith said.