L.A. schools chief warns year could be shortened by budget shortfall

LOS ANGELES The superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District warned that the school year could end in April if the state and federal budget crisis is not resolved, CBS Los Angeles reported.

In an address at Robert Kennedy Community School in Los Angeles Monday, John Deasy said that if voters reject ballot initiatives in November, the school year could be shortened by nearly four weeks. The initiatives would direct funds to the school district.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy discusses the effects that November ballot initiatives would have on schools.

/ CBS Los Angeles

Deasy noted in his speech that Proposition 38 would not prevent cuts to education that go into effect if Proposition 30 fails, the Los Angeles Times reported. The result would likely mean a school year of 160 days, instead of 180 days.

"Our school year will have to be reduced to 160 days right off the bat," he said.

According to the Times, Proposition 30 resulted from the state Legislature's budget deal earlier this year. It includes a four-year bump in the sales tax and a seven-year tax increase on high-wage earners.

Proposition 38 is a 12-year income tax increase that would see higher earners getting a larger rate increase. If both measures pass, the proposition with the most votes prevails, the Times reported.

• Faced with cuts, L.A. may shorten school year
• Ballot initiatives to watch this year

"I do not have answers to the question as to how are we going to transport students who have the legal right to school in Special Education. That won't be funded," Deasy said Monday, according to CBS Los Angeles. "I do not have answers to the question as to how a student will take their AP exam because LAUSD won't be open. Most everything as we know it will stop and go backwards."

[ser3454]

They could close it now - the kids are learning anything. Schools are a mess and it's not for lack of money. You could give the schools $1 trillion and it would not change a thing. Vote no on increased taxes, let the administrators take pay and pension cuts. That what everyone else has to do.

[1notrub11]

Point well made

[1notrub11]

Interesting.

They always say the budget will have a shortfall and the results will be a cut in select services or, as in this case, a net shorter school year.

Funny that no one outlines specifically what are the "rising costs" that are contributing to the shortfall, what fraction of the new budget they represent or whether they are actually receiving fewer dollars per student, etc. They choose instead to highlight the emotional subject of "special education transportation", which certainly cannot represent the bulk of the lost costs.

Maybe the reason for that is that the costs that are driving down the number of fundable teaching days are indirect costs and not those that are incurred during student teacher interface. Why is it that someone who wants more money to run their department cannot be honest and forthright about why? Just threats, no real reasons. Too bad the tax payer cannot be treated as an intelligent human being for once.