Community Rallies Around Ojai's Schools

$2 million budget cut from state prompts outpouring of support

By Sondra Murphy
Alongside the monthly Peddler’s Fair at the Chaparral Auditorium Sunday, hot dogs, snow cones, buttons, floral baskets, hemp bracelets, pony rides and livestock sales looked right at home. Had it been a school carnival, the state budget would have been the roller coaster ride.
This gathering had a mission. Colorful signs reading “Save Ojai Schools” were posted along Ojai Avenue, eliciting honks of support from passing cars. Each school in the Ojai Unified School District set up booths selling a variety of food and sundries, while the Ojai Education Foundation sold T-shirts and other items in a collective effort to raise $330,000 needed by June to avoid closing one large and one small school next year.
Fearing up to $2 million in anticipated revenue reductions from its approximately $25 million total budget for the 2008-2009 school year, OUSD and its supporters have joined a growing trend among state educators in asking for financial help from its community. Hundreds of teachers, administrators, coaches, politicians, board members, parents and students rallied at the downtown district office to garner support from home to compensate for budget cuts that could result in school closures and severe program eliminations.
Speakers included OUSD president Steve Fields, OUSD superintendent Tim Baird, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Chuck Weiss, Ojai mayor Sue Horgan, Ojai Federation of Teachers president Martha Ditchfield, Ventura County First District Supervisor Steve Bennett and OEF president Michael Caldwell. All were critical of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s January proposal to balance the state budget by cutting funds 10 percent across the board. If passed, the proposed budget will result in a $4.8 billion slash in education and further press the once-revered California public school system to the bottom of the list in state student spending.
“Thank you all for joining us in what I hope is not going to be our first annual Save Ojai Schools rally,” said Baird before introducing the speakers. Attendees were the proverbial choir behind the preacher, especially since the district’s staff and parent organizations have been working for months to deal with the financial shortfall.
As people spoke, it became clear that it is those without children in the public school system who need to add their voices to the protests in order to motivate state representatives into what Bennett called political courage. “The state of California has to prioritize education. It does not take courage to say ‘let’s cut everything 10 percent across the board,’” said Bennett. “(35th District Assemblymember) Pedro Nava has said he would prioritize education. I’m sorry you don’t have a representative here for the Ojai Valley to step up and say she will make education a top priority.”
37th District Assemblywoman Audra Stickland was conspicuously absent from the rally, but her Sunday editorial in the Ventura County Star regarding eliminating waste in educational funding was fresh on the minds of the SOS crowd.
“We must continue to press our legislators to fund education, but we also need to step in to help stop the bleeding,” said Fields. He borrowed the analogy of others in calling the crisis in educational funding “the perfect storm” and reviewed the combined events threatening OUSD schools: the state budget crisis; the district’s ninth year of declining enrollment; loss or reduction in school funding sources; and a significant increase in operating expenses, like utilities.
“The future of our community is in peril,” said Fields. “That’s why it’s imperative our community come together to save our schools.”
“It’s a shame we have to be here today,” said Weiss in his address. “In 1965, California was fifth in the nation in per-student-spending ratios,” he said. “We’ve been slipping ever since.” Weiss outlined the decline in school spending during the 1970s that led to the passing of Proposition 98 to guarantee a minimum amount of school funding. “Now we are 46th out of 49 states and this year the governor is talking about suspending Proposition 98.
“In the last 12 years, public education budgets have grown only 30 percent, while general revenue has increased 40 percent,” said Weiss. “Proposition 98 did not cause the deficit … yet we have to make cuts no one should have to.”
“Education is expensive, but ignorance could be fatal,” said Horgan. “We must have a competent, well-educated work force or the quality of our community will decline. Our own future is at stake.”
Ditchfield spoke of how more than 30 of her colleagues received layoff notices this spring and connected that to a loss in learning opportunities. “Student will carry that deficit forward,” she said. “Gov. Schwarzenegger should stop terminating teachers and programs.”
“This is the worst budget crisis I’ve seen in my 27 years in education,” said Baird. “We need to tell our legislators that cutting funding from our children’s’ education is not an option.”
Caldwell reminded the crowd that they only had 45 more days to raise the money needed to keep all OUSD schools open next year and maintain low class sizes. He said even if $330,000 was raised, new revenue sources must be created. “Are we going to do the same drill next year?” asked Caldwell. “We’re looking at parcel tax and vehicle license tax to increase education revenues.” Parents also discussed pooling some or all of their federal tax rebates into the SOS fund.
According to OEF treasurer Phil Caruthers, “The approximate amount of contributions generated from the April 20th rally is $17,360, including pledges.” This includes sales of t-shirts, bumper stickers, wristbands, sno-cones, popcorn, pony rides, other items and food. For more information on making a tax-deductible donation, contact the Ojai Education Foundation at ojaief.org or your neighborhood public school.
eliminations.
Speakers included OUSD President Steve Fields, OUSD Superintendent Tim Baird, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Chuck Weiss, Ojai Mayor Sue Horgan, Ojai Federation of Teachers President Martha Ditchfield, Ventura County First District Supervisor Steve Bennett and OEF President Michael Caldwell. All were critical of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s January proposal to balance the state budget by cutting funds 10 percent across the board. If passed, the proposed budget will result in a $4.8-billion slash in education and further press the once-revered California public school system to the bottom of the list in state student spending.
“Thank you all for joining us in what I hope is not going to be our first annual Save Ojai Schools rally,” said Baird before introducing the speakers. Attendees were the proverbial choir behind the preacher, especially since the district’s staff and parent organizations have been working for months to deal with the financial shortfall.
As people spoke, it became clear that it is those without children in the public school system who need to add their voices to the protests in order to motivate state representatives into what Bennett called political courage. “The state of California has to prioritize education. It does not take courage to say, ‘Let’s cut everything 10 percent across the board,’” said Bennett. “(35th District Assemblymember) Pedro Nava has said he would prioritize education. I’m sorry you don’t have a representative here for the Ojai Valley to step up and say she will make education a top priority.”
37th District Assemblywoman Audra Stickland was conspicuously absent from the rally, but her Sunday editorial in the Ventura County Star regarding eliminating waste in educational funding was fresh on the minds of the SOS crowd.
“We must continue to press our legislators to fund education, but we also need to step in to help stop the bleeding,” said Fields. He borrowed the analogy of others in calling the crisis in educational funding “the perfect storm” and reviewed the combined events threatening OUSD schools: the state budget crisis; the district’s ninth year of declining enrollment; loss or reduction in school funding sources; and a significant increase in operating expenses, like utilities.
“The future of our community is in peril,” said Fields. “That’s why it’s imperative our community come together to save our schools.”
“It’s a shame we have to be here today,” said Weiss in his address. “In 1965, California was fifth in the nation in per-student-spending ratios,” he said. “We’ve been slipping ever since.” Weiss outlined the decline in school spending during the 1970s that led to the passing of Proposition 98 to guarantee a minimum amount of school funding. “Now we are 46th out of 49 states and this year the governor is talking about suspending Proposition 98.
“In the last 12 years, public education budgets have grown only 30 percent, while general revenue has increased 40 percent,” said Weiss. “Proposition 98 did not cause the deficit … yet we have to make cuts no one should have to.”
“Education is expensive, but ignorance could be fatal,” said Horgan. “We must have a competent, well-educated work force or the quality of our community will decline. Our own future is at stake.”
Ditchfield spoke of how more than 30 of her colleagues received layoff notices this spring and connected that to a loss in learning opportunities. “Student will carry that deficit forward,” she said. “Gov. Schwarzenegger should stop terminating teachers and programs.”
“This is the worst budget crisis I’ve seen in my 27 years in education,” said Baird. “We need to tell our legislators that cutting funding from our children’s’ education is not an option.”
Caldwell reminded the crowd that they only had 45 more days to raise the money needed to keep all OUSD schools open next year and maintain low class sizes. He said even if $330,000 was raised, new revenue sources must be created. “Are we going to do the same drill next year?” asked Caldwell. “We’re looking at parcel tax and vehicle license tax to increase education revenues.” Parents also discussed pooling some or all of their federal tax rebates into the SOS fund.
According to OEF Treasurer Phil Caruthers, “The approximate amount of contributions generated from the April 20 rally is $17,360, including pledges.” This includes sales of T-shirts, bumper stickers, wristbands, snow-cones, popcorn, pony rides, other items and food. For more information on making a tax-deductible donation, contact the Ojai Education Foundation at ojaief.org or your neighborhood public school.