Torrance, CA – Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s (D-Torrance) wrote a letter this week to the Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittee Chairs, Assemblymembers Phil Ting and Kevin McCarthy as well as Senators Holly Mitchell and Richard Roth, requesting full and fair funding for California schools. This, after Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise budget showed tax revenues taking a sharp downturn due to unprecedented expenditures from the COVID19 crisis, including a reduction in $19.8 billion less for schools and community colleges.
The letter reads:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our economy and the state budget. The Legislature is now confronted with many difficult decisions on which policy priorities to fund or cut.”
“We, the undersigned legislators, support K-12 funding as our state’s highest budget priority. K-12 public schools impacts all of our communities -- urban, suburban, and rural. At a time when our schools are facing increased costs in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the state needs to give our schools more, not less, resources.”
“We cannot fully reopen our economy without reopening our schools. Many Californians cannot get back to work without our schools reopening. This pandemic has clearly underscored how our schools not just provide education for our children, but also childcare for working families, meals for children and families struggling during this economic crisis, and mental health and other vital health services for our children during this pandemic.”
“To support our schools, children, and families during this pandemic, we must give our schools the resources they need to reopen in the fall. Most funding for our schools is distributed through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). We need to fully fund LCFF at least at the 2019-20 funding level, and eliminate the 10 percent LCFF funding cut proposed in the May Revision.”
“We must also distribute federal CARES Act funding in a fair and equitable way to all school districts, because the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every school in the state. The overriding purpose of the CARES Act funding is to address the impact of the pandemic. This funding should be distributed to help all of our schools provide necessary services and equipment for our children and school staff, whether for necessary public health measures or to make distance learning work for all students. To this end, federal CARES Act dollars should be distributed to all school districts based on the Local Control Funding Formula.”
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, the Assistant Majority Leader for Policy and Research, represents California’s 66th Assembly District, which includes El Camino Village, Gardena, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, and West Carson. Muratsuchi is the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Aerospace, and is a member of the Assembly Committees on Budget, Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, Natural Resources, Utilities and Energy, and Veterans Affairs.
CONTACT: Kerry Jacob, 310-806-0893