For Immediate Release
May 15, 2012
Contact: Julie White; jwhite@acsa.org or (916) 225-8144

The 15,000-member Association of California School Administrators today announced its support for the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012.

“Our schools and students cannot afford more cuts. We believe the governor’s measure is a balanced approach that will reduce the budget deficit and protect schools and students from deeper cuts,” explained ACSA president David Gomez. “With more than $20 billion in cuts in recent years, the risks to our students have never been greater. We strongly believe that school communities must rally behind a revenue solution that helps prevent additional cuts and budget uncertainties.”

Gomez explained that if the initiative fails in November, public education is facing more than $5 billion in additional cuts in the next year. California schools already have the largest class sizes in the nation.  Art, music, vocational education and after-school programs have been eliminated. Home-to-school transportation services and critical academic programs are decimated.

This initiative guarantees that new revenue for education will be spent on schools at the local level. It also requires transparency through a public audit when funds are allocated, so Californians can ensure our schools are getting the money they deserve.

“We are committed to the hard work of ensuring that this measure is successful. ACSA joins a broad coalition of support for this measure, including the governor, legislative leaders, businesses, education groups, labor unions and community organizations,” Gomez said.

ACSA is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the nation. Its mission is to support California’s educational leaders; ensure that all students have the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel; and champion public education.

ACSA has also developed a set of talking points on the governor's ballot initiative.

###