New Times / Letter To The Editor

Bake sales won't compensate for a cut-only approach

Kristina Calkins

As a parent of a kindergartner at San Gabriel Elementary School in Atascadero, I am extremely disappointed that the governor’s revised budget continues to make billions in cuts to schools and students. How are schools supposed to continue doing “more with less”?

Because this is our first child in the public school system, I was shocked when Kleenex was on the donation request list sent home to parents! It is so sad that our schools have to ask for such basic necessities. And with the governor cutting more than $4 billion from public education, it makes me wonder what our poor schools will have to ask the community for next year.

California already ranks 46th out of 50 states in per pupil spending, which is more than $1,900 below the national average, according to a 2008 survey by Education Week, a trade publication. Thankfully, we are lucky to live in this community where there is so much support from individuals, families, and businesses. I was amazed and very proud when our school’s PTA raised more than $20,000 from a kick-a-thon this year. But with the economy slowing, I hear people say that it is harder and harder to make donations. Now is not the time to make such drastic cuts to the state’s education funding.

I understand that we need to continue working on balancing the state’s budget, but a “cuts-only” approach hurts children, schools, and everyone’s future.