Sep 11, 2008 9:07 pm US/Pacific
Calif. Schools Struggle To Cope With Budget Delays
SACRAMENTO (BCN) ―
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State Capitol in Sacramento.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said in a teleconference Thursday the delayed state budget is causing schools to withhold billions of dollars and make uneasy adjustments.
The state budget is 73 days late and O'Connell, who spoke on behalf of the Education Coalition, said that if a budget does not get passed by Monday, schools will not receive $2.5 billion in funding they are owed by the state for September.
The coalition, comprised of the California Teachers Association and other groups, announced that $487 million will be withheld from community colleges, $400 million from special education, and $378 million will be withheld that would go toward instructional materials.
O'Connell said schools have not been able to buy enough textbooks and might have to borrow from banks and accrue interest. Typically, the funds would have been available about a month ago, he said.
In addition, he said, the schools are making decisions based on the compromise budget, which is not set in stone.
"Everyone's working on behalf of students but in an environment where they have no idea what's going to happen," he said.
Schwarzenegger's office did not immediately return a call for comment.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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