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The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Students to protest budget in Sacramento

More than 2000 high school students, including about 80 from Paly and Gunn, are expected to rally in the state capitol Feb. 25 to protest Gov. Gray Davis’ proposed budget changes for funding education. As part of Davis’ plan to solve the state’s budget crisis, he is proposing to divert local property taxes that fund Basic Aid school districts to the state.

The result of the governor’s proposed transfer of $126 million in Basic Aid property tax revenues will be devastating to many school districts, according to assemblyman Joe Simitian, D- 21st district. For instance, the Palo Alto Unified School District may face budget cuts of up to $23.1 million annually based on the loss of property tax revenues alone – the equivalent of eliminating 45% of teacher salaries according to a PAUSD budget slide presentation.

In Sacramento, students will demonstrate many programs that may be cut due to Governor Davis’ budget proposal. Multiple high schools will provide demonstrations from band, choral, drama, cheerleading, and dance organizations. Students will display school art and photographs while student athletes will wear uniforms to represent their programs.

According to Paly Student Body President Lakshmi Eassey, the performances and displays of school programs would allow students "to be able to show legislators what exactly they’re cutting."

In addition to the ongoing rally on the front steps of the capitol building, select groups of students from different schools will be meeting with legislators to discuss the budget, with the aim of leading legislators toward an alternative plan that does not withhold local property taxes from Basic Aid School Districts.

A meeting will be held 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Los Altos High School library to prepare students meeting with legislators for their discussions and to provide a basic structure to follow. However, organizers said the discussions were partly up to the students.

Legislators who have confirmed meeting with students include Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D — Berkeley, Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D — 28th district, Assemblyman Bonnie Garcia, R — 80th district, Sen. Byron Sher, D — 11th district, Wilma Chan, D — 16th district, Assemblyman John Campbell, R- 70th district, Gene Mullin, D — 19th district, and Sen. Liz Figueroa, D — 10th district. Students are also attempting to set up a meeting with Joe Simitian, who chairs the Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance and was formerly on the Palo Alto school board.

Students will set up an open microphone at the rally for anyone who wants to address the protesting students and parent and teacher chaperones, along with set speeches from assembly members, teachers, and faculty. According to Student Activities Director Joann Vaars, teachers must call in sick and students must get excused absences if they want to attend the rally since school districts are not allowed to sponsor this event. Also, students must rely on other sources — in Paly’s case the non-profit the Palo Alto Foundation for Education — to provide busing.

The rally will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the south steps of the capitol building. At a meeting last Thursday in Mountain View about the rally, students from Fremont High School said they may be wearing shirts saying, "I wuz ejumacated en Kaliphornia, Thanks Gray Davis."

Melanie Hui, a main coordinator and a member of the Mountain View High School third period leadership class, the group that started up and organized the rally, said that a major target of this protest is the media. Mountain View Leadership member Jennifer Lehnhardt said she is trying to contact the San Jose Mercury News, while local news stations such as ABC, KTVU, and KRON, as well as other newspapers are also potentials for media coverage.

The governor’s proposed mid-year cuts, which total $2 million for the Palo Alto Unified School District, plus additional cuts and previously determined deficits coming into this year, add up to $3.7 million this year; add the $23.1 million loss in property tax revenues and the total loss is $27 million from a $108 million budget according to a PAUSD budget slide presentation, which represents a 25% loss in funding.

The PAUSD budget slides also say Davis plans to divert to the state all property tax revenues exceeding a district’s revenue limit, which adds up to 80% of Palo Alto’s property taxes and would cost the district $23.1 million, as well as discontinuing the $120 per student Basic Aid State funding.

The Palo Alto school board says Basic Aid Districts heavily rely on property taxes for funding. Basic Aid Schools with excess property tax revenues receive minimal state funding, or "Basic Aid" which is around $120 per student.

The protest and letters to the state legislature are the most immediate actions being taken by the Paly School Community. "Our main focus right now is preventing the Governor’s proposal from passing," said Vaars.

For additional information on the budget situation, visit the official PAUSD website at http://www.pausd.palo-alto.ca.us/. Go to the SAO for rally permission slips if you would like to attend or contact student body president Lakshmi Eassey at [email protected] or Director of Student Activities Joann Vaars at [email protected] for questions or comments.

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