1991/04/23 City Council ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 91-88
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION 98
FOR THE STABILIZATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL AND
CO",4UNITY COLLEGE FUNDING IN CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, Proposition 98 has stabilized public school and
community college funding in California and has permitted
school boards, administrators, and teachers to plan,
implement, and maintain programs more coherently; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 98 has enabled schools to improve
the quality of education by allowing them to purchase
additional and updated textbooks, to obtain new and modern
equipment and additional materials and supplies, and to hire
more teachers; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 98 has not 'enriched' the schools at
the expense of any other public service, but has merely
ensured that education receives a fair and steady - or
undiminished - percentage of the state budge-,,-; and
WHEREAS, California already spends about $400 less per
student than the national average, and between $3,500 and
$4,000 less per student than states like New Jersey, New York,
and Connecticut; and
WHEREAS, California would need to spend at least
$3 billion more each year just to reach the national average
of expenditures per pupil; and
WHEREAS, a suspension of Proposition 98 would take
$2 billion away from our schools and necessitate deep cuts in
the instructional program, would undermine the educational
reform effort, and would 'Lower the quality of education for
students in tens of thousands of classrooms; and
WHEREAS, a suspension of Proposition 98 would reduce the
State's contribution to education by about $9,000 per
classroom in constant dollars; and
WHEREAS, a suspension of Proposition 98 would render our
schools less able to meet the demands created by the
enrollment of over 200,000 additional students each year, many
of those students speaking little or no English; and
WHEREAS, a suspension of Proposition 98 would drive
scores to hundreds of local school districts into bankruptcy;
and
WHEREAS, in enacting Proposition 98 and then Proposition
ill, which amended 98, the voters of California have twice
said they do not want the State budget balanced on the backs
of public school and community college students; and
WHEREAS, the State has instituted poor policy by
attempting to balance its budget at the cost of local
government services; and
WHEREAS, the State has been fiscally irresponsible by
allowing counties to charge school districts and cities for
property tax administration fees.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that. the City Council of
the City of Rohnert Park calls upon and urges Governor Pete
Wilson and all members of the State Legislature not to suspend
Proposition 98; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City
of Rohnert Park urges the State to stop its poor public policy
of pitting counties against school districts and cities in an
attempt to balance the State's budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City
of Rohnert Park calls upon the Governor and Legislature to
explore all revenue options (which includes tax increases) in
efforts to balance the State budget.
DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED this 23rd day of April, 1991.
CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
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