Ramona School District Needs Governor's Budget Proposal To Suceed, Superintendent Says

Ramona school district's financial health is reliant on the passage of the Governor's "flat funding" proposal, Superintendent Robert Graeff said Monday, following the governor's veto of lawmakers' budget proposal last week.

"The Governor’s budget proposal to maintain 'flat funding' for our local public schools is critically important," Graeff said. Flat funding means schools would receive the same funding as last year.

"Anything less than the Governor’s proposal will likely result in the elimination of our elementary music program and higher class sizes at most levels. More importantly, a legislative failure to properly fund schools this year will result in massive shortfalls for the 2012-13 school year – to which we do not yet have a solution."

Ramona Unified School District is listed by the state Department of Education as being among those at risk of being unable to pay bills.

The state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, said the number of schools at potential financial risk underscores "how urgently school districts across California need a balanced state budget in place that provides a full year of stable funding for education. After three successive years of unprecedented and harmful cuts, students, teachers, parents, and administrators need certainty now to prepare for the new school year.''

Projected enrollment in Ramona's school district will decline next year to 6,166 students – a drop of 220 from the current year, Graeff told Ramona Patch. This continues a nine-year slide since peak enrollment of 7,271 in 2001-02, he said. 

"The enrollment drop – like in most San Diego communities – is attributed to the halt of new home construction and the relative aging of the local community."

Graeff said the declining enrollment and budget shortfalls mean the district is unable to hire new employees and to expand student services.

Brown vetoed the legislature's budget proposal in favor of tax extensions. He continues to lobby for support for the extensions.