STA COVID-19 Budget Update Info

The Snowline Teachers Association would like to share some information about recent budget issues regarding education in California. We hope this information can help us navigate these troubled times a little better.

The California legislature is working on a new budget that will hopefully eliminate a lot of the proposed cuts to education funding. Policymakers face a constitutional deadline to pass a balanced budget by June 15 for the upcoming fiscal year, 2020-21, or they do not get paid. “Wait and see” needs to be our plan for now, and it is absolutely critical that we do not make any decisions before we know some real numbers.

Snowline does need to be prepared for some cuts to our education budget, and this could be an ongoing problem for many years. There are several important talking points to be aware of when looking at this issue.

• The proposed budgets do not cut out a lot of what we already have, they just don’t give us anything new. The concern is that with all of the new crisis-related expectations, we are going to need more money moving forward, not less.
• Early retirement incentives are not likely to happen, but we never know. STA’s position is that we will eventually need more teachers, not less, and we already face a shortage of qualified educators nationwide.
• Furlough days are off the table. It was a disaster for our district the last time we did it and we will not be doing that again.
• A “Pay Freeze” would have to be negotiated in bargaining, just like any other matters related to teacher compensation. STA certainly does not think this is a good idea!

This has certainly been a difficult time for all of us, and a huge challenge to education. STA needs to stick together and stand up for what is best for students and our members! Please reach out to your local STA site Representative if you have any additional questions or would like more details on anything. Thank you for your support!