What's next? What's next? (November 14, 2003)

Parent group readies for education funding fight

by Rachel Metz

A new parent group in town is gearing up for a brawl with state legislators over educational funding.

Nobody knows when it could happen -- or even if it will -- but volunteers and area officials think the group, What's Next Sacramento?, could help in future fights over Palo Alto's basic-aid funding.

In the wake of a serious threat to the district's coffers last spring, parents are looking to be anticipatory rather than reactive to possible budget cuts, which could come down from Sacramento as early as January, when newly-elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed 2004-05 state budget is due.

Lauren Janov, a parent activist and head of the group, is gathering troops of parents so parents can go to battle quickly if the district's funding is threatened. A half-dozen parents have signed up.

The funny thing is, Janov hopes she never has to use them.

"I'm hoping this is all twiddling thumbs and kind of a waste of time," Janov said.

After last spring's victorious battle over state attempts to siphon $23 million in basic-aid funding from Palo Alto Unified School District, district officials and parents like Janov breathed a sigh of relief but then quickly geared up for the possibility of future state grabs at such funding.

Janov helped organize letter and e-mail writing activities last spring at district elementary schools.

Janov hopes to establish a parent liaison at each school. These liaisons would then be used to disseminate budgetary news and materials for letter, e-mail and phone call drives to state legislators.

"I think the impact can be huge," Janov said.

Walter Hays and Addison elementary schools parent Linda Frommer agreed, but also thinks convenience is an important part of What's Next Sacramento? When Frommer helped rouse parent support at Addison and Walter Hays last spring, parents told her time and time again they had been thinking of sending out a letter to a legislator against basic-aid cuts. Yet, it wasn't until activists came to the school sites with pre-made letter samples that many acted.

"People are very busy so making it as easy as possible is really the goal of What's Next, and being able to respond quickly to whatever might come out of Sacramento," she said.

Janov and her small group of troops aren't the only ones who think their efforts could pay off. Superintendent Mary Frances Callan and Assemblyman Joe Simitian both cited the great impact parent volunteers had in last spring's effort to save basic-aid funding and the impact parent groups can have in future funding fights.

"It's far easier to do the job I have to do if I have ... community-based support not only in my district but in other districts around the state," Simitian said.

Some information regarding 2004-05 budget recommendations will come down in mid-December from the state's legislative analyst's office, Simitian said. That could hint at what will be in January's budget draft.

"I think it makes all the sense in the world for folks to be organized and ready, whatever the outcome of that report might be," he said.

Big cuts won't come down this winter, school board President Mandy Lowell thinks, saying the government has "bigger fish to fry." Still, keeping What's Next Sacramento? in place could be important in the next few years as the state legislature turns over, Lowell said. That way, the group can help educate legislative newcomers about the importance of educational funding.

Rachel Metz can be e-mailed at rmetz@paweekly.com