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You Cannot Provide A Quality Education to Students Relying On Donations To Fund Core Educational Programs

It is time to hold Governor Brown and our State Legislature accountable to students.

Dawn Urbanek, Neighbor

Posted Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 2:27 pm PT|Updated Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 2:51 pm PT

The State of California has record high revenues of $117 billion dollars this year. So why is the State limiting K-12 public education funding to 2007-08 levels (to be reach by the year 2021). In 2007-08 the States revenues were $105 billion today they are $117 billion. The continued lack of adequate funding is forcing Districts to rely on illegal fundraising to pay for core educational programs, creating great inequities between schools in the same District. The quality of education an individual student receives has become a function of the ability for their school to raise money.

Our students deserve better.

California Education Codes §51210 and §51220 mandate that the State of California pay for the following programs for all students in grades 1 - 12:

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

1. English
2. Mathematics

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

3. Social Sciences

4. Science

5. Visual and Performing Arts

6. Health

7. Physical Education

The State has the revenue to adequately fund a quality education for every student, but is choosing not to. Instead of providing students with sufficient funding to achieve a quality education, the State of California uses revenues to fund new programs and entitlements that are not constitutionally mandated... High Speed Rail.

If the State of California wants to change the State’s spending priorities it must do so with a Constitutional Amendment.

It’s time to put a stop to the abuse of our children’s right to a free, quality education. We cannot educate students through fundraising and donations.

The continued lack of adequate funding has resulted in a notable decline in the academic performance of students across all demographics.

Since 2006 the Capistrano Unified School District has been forced to cut $152 million dollars from it’s budget due to a reduction in funding from the State of California. As part of those reductions, in 2009-10 the Capistrano Unified School District eliminated or reduced many programs to utilize categorical flexibility. Art and Music block grants were eliminated. These programs have been funded through fundraising and donations ever since, which is a violation State law.

To illustrate the lack of equity that is created when a district relies on fundraising to pay for a mandated program I pulled all of the Visual and Performing Arts donations by elementary school.

The Capistrano Unified School District has 35 Elementary Schools. Donations listed are for the 2014-15 school year to the present (July 9, 2014 - Nov 18, 2015):

Harold Ambuehl Elementary School

PTA - $10,500 Primary Music Teacher Salary

PTA - $11,000 Primary Music Program

Arroyo Vista Elementary School

PTA - $15,750 K-3 Primary Music 2014-15
PTA - $3,737 Meet The Masters Art Program 2014-15
PTA - $5,501.10 Choir Risers

PTA -$228.66 -Meet the Masters Art Program

Don Juan Avila Elementary School

PTA - $2,409 for the Art Masters Program
PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Teacher Salary
Don Juan Avila Elementary School - $4,786 - Art Masters Program

Bathgate Elementary School

PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program 2014-15
PTA - $,313.64 Meet the Masters Art Program
Bathgate PTA paid $1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program Deposit

Truman Benedict Elementary School

PTA - $10,500 Primary Music Teacher Salary
The Truman Benedict PTA paid $6,571 For the Art Masters Program

Marian Bergeson Elementary School

PTA- $2,022 Art Masters Program
Bergeson Foundation - $31,500 Primary Music Program

PTA - $2,022 Art Masters Program

PTA - $2,021 Art Masters Program

Bergeson Foundation -$33,000 Primary Music Program

Canyon Vista Elementary School

PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program

Castille Elementary School

Target Corporation donated $2,150 for “Instructional Materials and Supplies”

Chaparral Elementary School

Ladera Ranch Education Foundation paid $21,000 for Save the Music Program for Chaparral Elementary

Concordia Elementary School

NO DIRECT DONATIONS TO ART OR MUSIC

Crown Valley Elementary School

NO DIRECT DONATIONS TO ART OR MUSIC

RH Dana Elementary School

PTA -$1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program Deposit

PTA - $1,243.81 Meet the Masters Art Program

PTA $1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program Deposit

Del Obispo Elementary School

NO DIRECT DONATIONS TO ART OR MUSIC

Their web site says they have block music 4th and 5th grade students receive 2 x 40 - minute classes per week.

Carl Hankey Elementary School

PTA - $10,500 Primary Music Program 2014-15

Hidden Hills Elementary School

PTA - $1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program

Kinoshita Elementary School

NO DONATIONS LISTED FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD
The Kinoshita web site says they have Music grade K-3

Ladera Ranch Elementary School

Ladera Ranch Education Foundation - $21,000 Save the Music

Ladera Ranch Education Foundation - $16,664.71 Primary Music Teacher

Target Corporation - $925 Primary Music Program

Laguna Niguel Elementary School

PTA -$1,000 Meet The Masters Art Program Deposit
PTA - $3,519 Meet the Masters Art Program 2014-15

Las Flores Elementary School

PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Teachers Salary
PTA - $22,000 Primary Music Program

Las Palmas Elementary School

NO DIRECT DONATIONS TO ART OR MUSIC

*Las Palmas had 2 donations for Instructional Supplies -$225,000 and $87,000

Clarence Lobo Elementary School

PTA - $10,500 Primary Music Program 2014-15

John S Malcom Elementary School

PTA - $10,500 Kindergarten Music Program

Marblehead Elementary School

PTA - $1,940 Art Masters Program 2014-15
PTA - $1,670 Art Masters Program 2014-15
PTA -$1,910 + $735 = $2,645 for the Art Masters Program
Marblehead Aloha Foundation - $5,250 Primary Music Program
PTA - $300.00 Art Masters

Marblehead Aloha Foundation - $11,000 Primary Music Program

Moulton Elementary School

PTA - $4,607 Art Masters Program 2014-15
PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program 2014-15
PTA - $75.11 Art Masters Program 2014-15

PTA - $11,000 Primary Music Program 2015-16

Oak Grove Elementary School

PTA - $1,200 for MIND Music 2014-15
PTA- $31,500 Primary Music Program 2014-15
PTA - $31,500 for MIND Music Consultant and Primary Music Program 2015-16

Oso Grande Elementary School

PTA $8,300 Primary Music Teacher Salary 2014-15
Ladera Ranch Foundation - $33,700 Primary Music Teacher
PTA - $24,509.01 Music Teacher Salary 2015-16

Palisades Elementary School

PTA - $21.48 Art Masters Program 2014 - 15
PTA - $4,656 Art Masters Program 2014-15
PTA - $4,324.36 Arts Master Program 2015-16

Philip J Reilly Elementary School

PTA - $5,324 Art Masters Program 2014-15

PTA - $15,750 Primary Music Program 2014- 15

PTA - $16,500 Primary Music Program 2015-16

San Juan Elementary School

San Juan Children’s Education Foundation - $10,500 Primary Music Teacher Salary

Tijeras Creek Elementary School

PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program 2014-15
PTA - $2,313 Meet The Masters Art Program
PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program 2014-15

Viejo Elementary School

PTA - $3,763.20 Meet the Masters Art Program

Vista Del Mar Elementary School

PTA - $1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program Deposit 2014-15
PTA - $15,750 Primary Music Program 2014-15
PTA - $3,338.94 Meet the Masters Art Program 2014-15
PTA - $3,338.94 for the Meet the Masters Art Program

PTA - $3,253.94 Meet the Masters Art Program

PTA - $1,000 Meet the Masters Art Program

Wagon Wheel Elementary School

PTA - $1,000 for Meet the Masters Art Program Deposit 2014-15
PTA - $500 Meet the Masters Instructional Supplies

PTA - $2,369.34 Meet the Masters Art Program

PTA - $500 for the Meet the Masters Art Program

George White Elementary School

PTA - $2,947.04 Meet the Masters Art Program 2014-15

PTA - $24.62 Meet the Master Art Program 2014-15

PTA - $21,000 Primary Music Program 2014-15

PTA - $2,947.04 Meet the Master Art Program 2015-16

PTA $22,000 - Primary Music Program 2015-16

Wood Canyon Elementary School

Wood Canyon Elementary School Foundation -$11,000 Primary Music Program
There web site says they have a K-3 music program.

District Education/Music Program

Orange County Arts Education Collaboration Fund - $5,000 Arts Revision Plan

By law the State should be funding Music and Art for every 1-12 grade student. Parents and the Public should not be fundraising for art, music, science, math,school loop,salaries for teachers. instructional aids, counselors and librarians (see donations below).

If you want to make a difference for your child support People for Student Rights our grass root effort to ensure that students in the Capistrano Unified School District receive the funding they are entitled to under the Constitution.