Schools across California are expected to plan for the worst this month. No one knows what the budget from the state will be for public schools next year.

The prediction is that hundreds of teachers statewide will be issued preliminary layoff notices by the mandatory date of March 15. Because of this unknown – the question we are all thinking -- how many teachers could we lose next year?If the governor's proposal to seek tax extensions ends up on the June ballot, school districts will not know until later that month whether they can rescind layoff notices or not. What happens if the tax extension is not approved? With the tax extensions extended, the loss to the district would be $19/student. Without the tax extension, the lost would amount to $350 per each student in the district. This amounts to funding levels from almost 10 years ago wiping away all cost of living expenses and more!

For our Redondo schools, it would mean a $2.7 million deficit. Also, this time around, there will be no federal stimulus money to help ease the red ink. Our students would experience less teachers, program elimination, larger class sizes and instructional materials not being purchased.

The time is NOW for us as parents to join forces and make a difference for our students!  How you ask? By getting the vote out and through the RBEF’s annual donor drive. One involves our inherit right as citizen’s to flex our voting power and the other is our privilege to live in a country where for $30 a month, we can afford to give our students an excellent education.

Please show your support for the tax extension vote in June and support our schools and teachers with a $360 tax deductible donation to the current donor campaign running through April 1st.  Any donation helps and supports our students!

To donate or for further information about the tax extension ballot measure, go to www.rbef.org.