Education leaders say Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is warning them to expect major cuts to education due to California's worsening financial situation. And they say the governor plans to call for a state sales tax hike to help fill the growing shortfall.
Rick Pratt is with the California School Boards Association. He was in on the meeting with Governor Schwarzenegger Tuesday.
Pratt: He was pretty clear that he would be seeking a $2 billion to $4 billion cut in school funding - now remember, this is on top of the $3 billion cut that schools have already sustained in the current year.
Pratt says schools have already made many cuts, including reducing or eliminating after school programs and increasing class size. Pratt says a tax increase is a better alternative than more cuts.
Governor Schwarzenegger said Monday he would call a special session of the legislature to balance the budget November Fifth. He says the state's deficit has grown to "much more" than $3 billion, but one legislative leader pegged it as high as $10 billion.
