Facts about the latest California budget proposals

•  The Governor's latest budget proposal calls for cutting almost $11 billion from education over the next 18 months.
   

•  That cut would come on top of $3.2 billion that has already been cut in the state budget passed in September 2008.
   

•  The Governor's proposal also includes manipulations to Proposition 98 that would reduce the minimum funding guarantee to schools in all future years by $7 billion to $9 billion.
   

•  California is already ranked 47th - almost at the bottom - among all states when it comes to spending on students. With this, we'd be likely to wind up in last place.
   

•   Cuts to education have already led to larger class sizes, more than 10,000 layoffs of teachers and other support staff, and the elimination of educational programs.
   

•  More cuts would mean larger classes, and less access to quality programs, arts education, counseling, school libraries and much more.
   

•  A balanced approach to the state budget is needed, with sufficient revenues to prevent such devastating cuts.

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The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members working on behalf of public schools.  children and families. It is a branch of the 112-year-old National PTA, the nation's oldest, largest and highest-profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state, and local levels. The PTA is nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian and noncommercial. For more information, go to www.capta.org.

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