Venice High Principal Warns of Cuts

The Los Angeles Unified School District faces a $408 million deficit for the next school year, Venice High Principal Dr. Elsa Mendoza told a group of about 50 concerned parents and teachers at a meeting last week.

School budgets statewide hang in the balance as a fight continues in Sacramento over whether to put Gov. Jerry Brown's revenue initiative to the voters.

The initiative, which would stabilize school funding by extending some 2-year-old temporary taxes, is opposed by Sacramento's Republican lawmakers.

Mendoza explained that there were four possible scenarios: Brown's proposal is passed by the voters and teachers unions commit to further concessions; the proposal passes, but unions do not concede; the proposal doesn't pass, but the unions commit to concessions; or Brown's proposal does not go through, and union contracts remain the same.

"We are working under the assumption that we are going to face the worst-case scenario," Mendoza said. "That is fact right now."

Mendoza handed out a list of cuts Venice High will make next year, if it doesn't get additional funding. Double block English classes, which are designed for students struggling with that subject, would see a rise from a 20-to-1 student-teacher ratio to 26-to-1. English language skills courses and magnet classes would also see a rise.

The magnet coordinator and testing coordinator positions would be cut, as well as the librarian.

Summer classes would be only four weeks long, three hours a day, and available only to 10th and 11th graders who failed a class. Summer administrative support would also be cut.

"We don't even know how we're going to give your kids who are graduating their diploma," Mendoza said, since no one will be in the office after the school year ends.

Mendoza urged parents to call legislators in Sacramento to support putting the governor's proposal to the voters in June.

"We've been kicking the can down the road," Brown said in a YouTube video put online Monday (attached).

"What I am asking the legislators," he said in the video, "is to give we the people, all of us in California, as voters, the opportunity to vote whether to extend some temporary taxes which were enacted two years ago, or to double up on our cuts."

For contact information for Republican legislators who oppose the vote, go to Venice High's website.