Proposition 30: California voters willing to pay more for education

SHERMAN OAKS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- California voters have spoken loud and clear when it comes to education funding. They are willing to pay more in taxes to avoid major budget cuts from kindergarten to college.

With 100 percent of precincts reports, 54 percent of voters support Proposition 30. The measure was aggressively backed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

"We are now living within our means because of the cuts and because of Prop 30," Brown said during a Wednesday news conference. "That money will pay down debt, and then with the economic recovery, it will create more and more money per child in the classroom."

Proposition 30 was close throughout election night, and it did not receive the 50 percent majority until 3 a.m. Wednesday. But now that it has been approved, starting in January, Californians will be paying an additional quarter-cent in sales tax for the next four years. It will also raise the income tax on people who earn more than $250,000 for seven years.

Parents were very happy that Prop 30 passed.

"This money is going to do a lot for the classroom, for the students to be in school the full year," said parent Christina Concidine.

The passage of prop 30 is having immediate effects. California State University will start refunding a tuition increase, which was aimed at answering $6 billion in education cuts.

For the districts like the LAUSD, the added revenue means that they will no longer have to cut a quarter-billion from their budget this school year. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy says schools are now saved from having to shorten the school year by three weeks, and as a result, math, science and English curriculums will remain untouched.

"We are very, very pleased. So, instead of facing a catastrophic situation where we were dismantling public education, we're stable," Deasy said.

California voters rejected the competing measure, Proposition 38. Seventy-two percent of voters said no, while 28 percent said yes. It would have increased personal income tax rates for 12 years on a sliding scale to help bring in money for education.

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education, jerry brown, school, taxes, politics

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