Proposition
aimed at school programs
By Jill Thomsen
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Before and After School Programs Initiative
on Nov. 5’s ballot would provide $455
million in grants to public and charter
schools.
Proposition 49 advocates quote statistics
that show violent crimes increase between
the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., and that crime
rates dropped 40 percent at Los Angeles
schools when those schools offered after-school
programs.
The proposition will allow schools to apply
for grants ranging from $50,000 to $75,000.
Priority will be given for schools with
a majority of low-income students and for
schools currently receiving grants. Charter
schools will be allowed to apply for the
grants.
Advocates hope that passage of the initiative
will help working families and improve grades
and test scores. The current system for
after-school programs allocated about $95
million last year. Schools must raise local
money to get state money. The money is for
general “educational enrichment” and is
not after-school specific.
While K-8 schools would gain from the passed
measure, higher education could suffer from
an increasingly tight state budget. With
California already suffering from a large
budget deficit that will likely continue
over the next three years, funds available
to help other priorities could be lost.
Sacramento Bee columnist Peter Schrag argues
that “there will almost certainly be fee
increases” at the California State University
system.
The California Teacher’s Association supports
the initiative and communications consultant
Frank Wells argues that the measure pretty
much pays for itself.
“The language of the initiative is written
so that if there is no budget growth, the
legislation won’t even kick in,” Well said.
“It is funded totally out of growth revenue.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger has used his star
power to publicize and advocate his initiative
in several ways. He appears in television
commercials touting the plan, hosts fund-raisers
supporting the initiative and is even ingrained
in the Web site for the proposition, joinarnold.com.
Former chairman of the President’s Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports, Schwarzenegger
has long been an advocate of keeping children
healthy and in shape. Proposition 49 expands
after-school programming from tutoring and
homework assistance to include computer
classes, fine arts and physical fitness
activities.
Proposition 49 would reserve $455 million
of the annual state budget to after-school
programs. This reserve would be permanent
and untouchable, no matter what budget matters
may be occurring each year.
Barbara Inatsugu of the League of Women’s
Voters says in state voting materials that
“Prop. 49 fully funds one after-school program,
year after year, in good budget times and
bad. Is that fair? Is that good public policy?”
The Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Los
Angeles Times’ editorial boards have both
recommended a “no” vote on the measure.
The Telegram called the initiative a “potentially
dangerous funding mechanism.”
Initiative status on the Nov. 5 ballot indicates
that the proposition has bypassed the legislature
and is being put directly on the ballot
for approval or rejection by the voters.
Four statewide initiatives are on the ballot,
all which required signatures equivalent
to 5 percent of the vote in the last gubernatorial
election.
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