Mountain's Schools Send Governor a Stern Message

The El Tejon Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to send Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a unanimous declaration at their April meeting: (l-r) Cathy Wallace, Paula Regan, Ken Hurst, Anita Anderson and Stacey Gustafson

By Patric Hedlund

A newly achieved spirit of teamwork became clearly visible in March and April among ETUSD trustees. They are working together to help Superintendent Shelly Mason juggle nearly a million dollars in budget cuts over two years.

On April 9 they sent a stern resolution to Governor Schwarzenegger: the state's students did not create this deficit and fixing it should not come at the expense of their education, which is the state's future. They urged the governor and legislators to find other ways to solve the crisis, including new revenue sources.

Although the state's median income ranks in the top 20 percent in the nation, per student spending ranks in the bottom 35 percent, their resolution said. California spends $1,900 less per student than the national average. In the 2005 National Assessment Test of academic achievement, California ranked in the bottom 12 percent in every subject, they report.

Last year ETUSD's administrative staff was shaved down to a skeleton crew. This year pink slips have gone out to 11 teachers.

This is part of the April 18, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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