Prop 30 extension pushed for by educators

By Francisco Villegas |Staff Writer|

Education officials want to extend Proposition 30. California Gov. Jerry Brown does not.

If passed, Prop 30 would extend the current, voter-approved income tax increase on the wealthiest California residents.

Sales and Income Tax Increase Initiative (Prop 30) would tax those who earn more than $250,000 a year.

If this proposition is extended the increase in sales tax by 25 percent would continue.

Educators support this proposition and want to collect signatures to help Prop 30 get on the November 2016 ballot.

If extended, Prop 30 will continue to fund schools and healthcare services with the extra revenue.

Gov. Jerry Brown fears that if the proposition is extended, then people might move to other states and leave California with fewer jobs.

“Since 2012 and Prop 30 passed, California has added 737,000 private sector jobs,” said Chris Hoene, executive director of California policy and budget center.

Prop 30 has some restrictions in place to make sure the funds are used for education purposes.

“According to the provisions of Proposition 30, revenues raised must be sent directly to schools for classroom expenses, and may not be used for administrative costs,” according to www.trackprop30.ca.gov

“All revenues from this measure are subject to audits at the local level and by the Controller.”

If Prop 30 is not extended, some believe public school employees are at risk of losing their job.

“Every year before Prop 30 passed, around March 13, I would get a layoff notice and it was very hard because I feel I am a very qualified teacher and have a lot to offer,” said Lauren Brollier, a literacy coach for the Berkley Unified School District.

“Failure of Prop. 30 would negatively affect students through reduced access, fewer course offerings and services, and increased tuition fees,” stated the CSUSB website.

“Administrators, faculty and staff may be in jeopardy of losing their jobs, adding to the already high unemployment rate in the Inland Empire.”

Teaching professionals are not the only people who favor Prop 30.

Students at CSUSB fear not having enough professors will lead to a lack of classes offered when it comes to registering per quarter, making it more difficult to register.

“I think we should extend Prop 30, if it means fewer teacher cuts. That means more opportunities for classes,” said student Elionai Guzman.

Another concern is that students will not receive one-on-one help from professors due to the large amount of students in a class.

If students from colleges don’t receive the help provided by Prop 30, they could find it difficult to continue their higher education in a CSU or UC institution by facing additional tuition increases, according to the video (Student perspectives) from www.calfac.org.

The initiative does not fund public higher education, but it prevents deep ‘trigger’ cuts to the California State University and University of California.

Without Prop 30, the impact to CSUSB would be another reduction in state support of $10 million,” stated the CSUSB website.

“The PACE/USC Rossier School of Education Poll shows 63 percent of voters are in favor of extending at least one provision of Prop. 30—the tax increase on high incomes or the sales tax hike or both—that is set to expire at the end of 2016,” according to USCnews.