GUEST OPINION: Proposition 30 and the class of 2026

I do not want this to be the speech that school administrators give when today's kindergartners graduate from high school as the Class of 2026:

"We are sorry that we weren't able to give you an equivalent education to what your parents and older siblings received. During your years in our K-12 school system, budget cuts forced us to reduce the length of the school year, increase class sizes, lay off teachers, eliminate classes and cut summer school programs. So many school nurse, librarian, and counselor positions were eliminated that our state was ranked 50th among all states. We're sorry, but we couldn't give you access to support services if you were struggling or enrichment programs to broaden your education."

And yet, don't we expect these same class of 2026 graduates to step out into the world, be competitive in a global economy and help ensure that our county, state and nation prospers? Isn't our community going to be dependent on these and other students to run our businesses, medical facilities, public safety agencies, schools and universities in the future?

I recognize that these are very challenging economic times, but we should be outraged about what is happening to our schools. Should the threatened mid-year budget cuts be enacted this year and maintained into the future, this year's kindergarten students could potentially lose 286 days of K-12 schooling during their lifetime. Upon completion of high school, these students could miss out on more than 57 weeks of education compared to students who graduated prior to 2008, when the first big cuts to public education in California began.

There is no other time in our state's history when the amount of instructional time for students has been reduced so dramatically. This generation of students is a first-the first generation that could receive less education than previous generations.

Teachers are also feeling the impact. Our teachers are being asked to teach students who are more socially and academically diverse than ever before. We continue to expect high academic achievement in their classrooms, even as they are faced with fewer resources, less support, significant cutbacks in instructional time and more difficult challenges.

To date, Sonoma County schools have been successful in meeting and exceeding California's academic norms, but I cannot guarantee that this will continue in light of the additional financial burdens that are coming our way. A new $5.4 billion cut to K-12 education would be levied this school year if funding support for public schools is not approved by voters under Proposition 30.

In Sonoma County, our share of the "trigger cuts" translates into a $30 million loss for local public schools. And remember, this is on top of the accumulated $60 million in local education cuts since 2008-09. Taken together, these budget reductions are equivalent to eliminating 22 days of classroom instruction each school year. Over a student's K-12 education, this adds up to a potential loss of 286 schools days per student.

In Sonoma County, more than

70,000 students are enrolled in our schools each year, and each one will receive less education than ever before if those cuts are made

Proposition 30 is the only measure on the November ballot that will stop the mid-year budget cuts to education. If passed, this proposition would provide a base of fiscal support for public schools.

Voters are being asked to support Proposition 30 to help place California schools on a firm financial footing, end the ongoing cuts to education and create a financial support system that will keep our state's public school graduates competitive in the global economy.

This is of critical importance to the students in our local schools and to the well-being of our communities. I believe we have a moral and economic imperative to educate the next generation of students and to find a budget solution that does not short-change our future.

Steven D. Herrington is the Sonoma County superintendent of schools and a member of the Sonoma County Education Coalition, a multi-agency association that's working to provide the community with information about education issues.