District Budget, School Bonds Are Our Concern
By Kennette Babbs, VVTA President

Welcome Back! The beginning of a new year is always exciting.

This year brings some new developments to our agenda. As most have heard by now, the State Allocation Board took away the VVUSD hardship status for building new schools.

The district has announced that we will be pursuing a bond issue in the coming months. Many of you are already feeling the squeeze of a tighter budget. Site budgets by our estimation have been cut by 25-30%.

That trickles down to the teachers and students when we see copy budgets reduced and our classroom supplies cut. Our 4.29% raise was approved for the year but with the district suing the state over the building status and having to put aside money for building programs from the general budget, I hear many teachers saying they are paying for copies out of their own pockets, buying small printers for their classrooms, and spending more and more on classroom supplies.

This fall VVTA will work side by side with CSEA and the District to rouse voters in support of the school bond. We will be asking for your assistance. It is important that we all pull together in support of this worthy cause.

I wish you the best this year!