Vote ‘yes’ on the Long Beach school budget

Residents will also vote on the school district's proposed $116 million 2010-11 budget, which is 1.6 percent larger than the current spending plan and increases the tax levy $1.6 million, or 1.9

percent.

Once again, the district has shown its commitment to trimming the increase in spending — which was 1.7 percent this school year. This is the sixth consecutive year the increase has shrunk: Since 2005, it has steadily declined from 6 percent to the current 1.6 percent.

This is crucial as the district prepares to start paying off a $98 million bond the community approved in 2008 for districtwide upgrades to buildings and programs. All the important indicators, such as unemployment, say the economy is not going to improve much in the coming year, which will no doubt keep money tight.

This could be the last year for some time in which voters see such low-percentage increases in the school budget.

While we certainly agree with some residents that the district can do even more to cut expenses and thus their property taxes in these difficult economic times, we believe the board and the district are once again offering a reasonable budget that ensures students the educational resources they need. Long Beach continues to do as good a job as any district in the county of holding down costs.