Parent: Manteca USD can't walk mile in kids' shoes

It's not unusual for 100 big rigs to motor through the intersection of French Camp and Austin roads - roughly a mile away from New Haven Elementary School - on a weekday morning.

Temple City Council and school district reach agreement on facilities compensation

The City Council is expected to approve a new facilities use agreement with the local school district Tuesday, ending a nearly year-long dispute between the two governing bodies.

Eureka Adult School teachers prepare for hearings

While the Eureka Teachers Association is saying that some Eureka Adult School teachers may be forced to choose between retiring early or risking losing their jobs after layoffs are finalized next month, retirement may not even be an option, according to the Eureka Cities Schools superintendent.

Schools' fiscal year opens with mixed blessings

For the San Dieguito Union High School District, fiscal 2009-10, which began Wednesday, will have financial upsides and downsides.

Governor backs off plan to suspend Prop. 98

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he is willing to reconsider his most recent proposal to help close the state's $26.3 billion budget shortfall by suspending state constitutional rules that control education spending in order to make deep cuts in school funding.

Free meals provided at schools help in tough times

Some school districts throughout the county have begun serving free lunches and breakfasts to students this summer as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Meals Program. Under the program, dozens of schools, parks, community centers and other sites throughout Orange County are serving meals to children while on summer break. No forms are needed. Everyone under 18 is welcome.

California budget cuts target school bus service

Budget cuts and increased fuel costs are combining to make it harder for school districts to provide bus service for students. And a new state proposal could render transportation funding as optional for school officials.

Fiscal crisis shrinking high school athletics

Opportunities for California students to play high school sports, and reap their intangible benefits, are drying up. With school districts strangled by the state's budget albatross, athletics programs are shrinking across the state, including the desert.

Oakland school district: Is it better off after the state takeover?

Six years after the largest state loan ever made to a California school district, the Oakland school district is emerging from state receivership $89 million in debt. It faces a budget hole of $18 million for the 2010-11 school year, even if the state government makes no additional cuts. But now, at least, the Oakland school district's leadership

Vacations put school police on vandalism alert

When the final bell rang last month signaling the start of summer vacation at Sacramento area schools, the sound also ushered in the least favorite time of year for school district police departments. It's vandalism season, said Sgt. Vince Matranga of police services at the Sacramento City Unified School District.

Budget cuts mean more students stacked in Bay Area classrooms

Class-size reduction, intended to increase academic success in the primary grades, is almost universally cherished by parents, students and teachers. But California's ongoing budget drama has forced many Bay Area districts to partially or completely scrap the program in favor of saving millions through teacher layoffs.

High school programs across Bay Area reeling from cuts

As California's Legislature struggles to come to a consensus on how to fix the state's ailing economy, school districts throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and San Mateo counties are preparing for the worst when it comes to funding extracurricular activities.

Girl suspended for videotaping unruly class

Allison Moore says she and her 15-year-old daughter complained for months about the chaotic environment in a Clayton Valley High School math class.By May 15, with less than a month left in the school year, the classroom atmosphere had not improved, Moore said. That morning, when students flicked the lights on and off and began a paper ball fight with no intervention by their teacher, Moore's daughter caught the chaos on video with her cell phone.

Column: Why California "leaders" can't make a deal.

The constitutional requirement for a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to pass a budget is clearly the single most important reason why the Capitol is in a state of near-permanent political gridlock. But the two-thirds rule has been around since the New Deal and budgets used to get passed. So what’s the hang-up? Power: Nobody’s got it.

Governor, lawmakers still negotiating on budget

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders met Sunday night in hopes of reaching a compromise to solve California's fiscal crisis, but were unable to find a way to bridge a $26.3 billion gap that is leading the state toward insolvency.