SSC Webcast—“Special Session on Budget Crisis”
As we had signaled during our School Finance and Management Conference last month, the 2008-09 State Budget contained many risky assumptions and questionable provisions that put current year spending in jeopardy. On Monday, October 27, 2008, the Governor acknowledged that the state’s spending plan is quickly falling out of balance and that immediate action is needed. He recently indicated, in a meeting with the Education Coalition, that midyear cuts could be part of the solution. He has called for the Legislature to convene in special session to address the Budget crisis, with the session to begin November 6, 2008.
Following on the success of our September 11, 2008, webcast—“What You Need to Know Now”—School Services of California will offer a webcast to alert those of you working in K-14 education to the outcome of the special session and what you should do to best manage your district’s operations in light of the midyear actions. The webcast will provide you with up-to-the-minute information on the final actions from the special session, insight into the Governor’s Budget for 2009-10, and the political dynamics of the Budget negotiations with newly elected legislators. Given this political and economic landscape, we will offer advice on how best to position your district to weather the upcoming fiscal storm, including strategies on collective bargaining, use of categorical funds, cash management and other critical topics.
The specific date and time of this webcast will be set following enactment of legislation from the special session. The webcast will be videostreamed through a link on the School Services of California website at www.sscal.com and will be archived for later viewing for those who miss the live event. Like our September webcast, the upcoming offering will be made available free of charge as a service to our clients and the broader community concerned with the fate of K-14 education in California. Please stay tuned for further details.
—The Editor