California public education faces crippling budget cuts that leave no classroom untouched, including the South Pasadena Unified School District. 

Facing a $17 billion cut in education, Parent Teacher Associations from South Pasadena, Pasadena, La Canada, Glendale and Burbank will meet in a community forum from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday at Pacific Park Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave., Glendale. The discussion will address how to tackle the latest Sacramento budget and improve school programs.

The free event invites parents to a public discussion and presentations from EdSource, a non-profit organization that works on clarifying complex education topics and Morgan Polikoff, Ph.D., an education scholar and professor at the University of Soutern California’s Rossier School of Education who studies No Child Left Behind and its effect on students.

Local parents are encouraged to take action and learn about the financial problems that face schools, said Deb McCurdy, Legislative Liaison for the South Pasadena Council PTA.

“South Pasadena Unified School District has a reputation for being among the finest in the region, but even a district with our pedigree is not immune to the effects of these brutal cuts,” McCurdy said.  

One-time federal grants, passed parcel tax and reserve funds are temporary salves that keep the South Pasadena schools afloat.

“The federal money was a one shot deal, the parcel tax is in effect for only three more years and the majority of our reserve is going to be used to carry us through our current three year projected budget,” McCurdy said.

Governor Jerry Brown will propose a June ballot initiative that extends taxes that are already in place to stave off further cuts to K-12 public education. It is important for parents to familiarize themselves with education reform, McCurdy said.

“PTA feels that in order for our members to advocate effectively for our children, we need to know how the system works,” McCurdy said. 

Forums similar to this one will continue to take place throughout the city, state and the nation. 

“While we are not as unhealthy as some other districts, our system has been compromised for several years now,” McCurdy said. “Any new hit in the budget threatens to weaken us in a way that will seriously impact our well-being.”  

As the largest, unpaid lobbying group for public school parents and students, the forum will help parents advocate for children.

“The problems and hardships resulting from budget cuts impact every child in this state,” McCurdy said. “Although the impacts may be felt differently from district to district, no school district is an island unto itself, and at this point, all districts are suffering.”