Benicia Unified School District

Nearly 2 million students -- roughly 30 percent of pupils in California -- attend school in a district facing serious financial jeopardy, including four districts in Solano County, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced this week.

"The emergency confronting California's schools is widening and deepening," Torlakson said in a press release. "As disturbing as these numbers are, unless the Legislature moves to place the governor's tax extension plan on the ballot, they are just the tip of the financial iceberg facing school districts up and down the state."

Torlakson's findings came as he released the results of the first semiannual Interim Status Report that represents budget certifications for California local educational agencies (LEA) through the end of October 2010. The reports reflect a certification of whether a school district is able to meet its financial obligations.

The number of districts on the negative certification list rose to 13 from 12 last year at this time. The number of districts on the qualified certification list dipped slightly to 97 from 114 last year at this time.

A district is listed as negative certification -- the most serious designation -- when it is determined that, based on current projections, it will not meet its financial obligations for fiscal year 2010-11 or 2011-12. Both Travis Unified and Vallejo Unified school districts made the negative certification list.

A district is listed as a qualified certification when, based on current projections, it might not make its financial obligations. Both Dixon Unified and Fairfield-Suisun Unified school districts made the qualified certification list.

A district listed as a positive certification when, based on current projections, it will meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year and subsiquent two fiscal years. Benicia Unified School District is proud to be on this list!

The California Department of Education semiannually prepares Interim Status Reports for the Superintendent on the financial status of the state's 1,032 LEAs, comprised of school districts, county offices of education, and joint powers agencies.

"Schools face the daunting challenge of up to $4.5 billion in additional cuts if tax extensions are not placed on the ballot by the Legislature and approved by voters in June, an additional cut of 10 percent," Torlakson said. "This would be devastating to an education system that has already sustained $18 billion in state funding cuts over the last three years -- a loss of one-third of the annual budget for schools."