Reflecting the cowardice of political leaders at the highest levels of state government who refuse to fund equal opportunity education adequately, short-sighted local school board members, cozy with school administrators, have promoted an unprecedented looting of California’s schools through the dismissal of senior employees.

In Monterey County, the small Aromas-San Juan Unified District inexplicably gave large long-term raises to top administrators. As school costs rose faster than revenues, Aromas-San Juan ran into financial difficulties.

The County Office of Education demanded that the district bring in consultants to help solve the district’s problems. It hired School Services of California at the astonishing pay rate of $190 per hour. The district had to pay three-quarters of the tab. One result of this misuse of school funds is that classroom aides with as much as 17 1/2 years of service in are now being laid off.

In both Aromas-San Juan and the nearby Pajaro Valley Unified School District, nearly all classified library technicians have lost their jobs. Common to both districts is ACSA, the Association of California School Administrators, which advised member administrators to seek large multi-year raises, and encouraged school boards to award them.

In both districts, school board members are chosen using the mythical ideology of the small businessman. Voters believe that businessmen are best suited to make decisions about taxes and funding for public services.

Unfortunately, many businessmen make short-term decisions to show immediate profit. Education is an ongoing long-term investment in the future of children with the payoff coming in 10 to 20 years. The dismissing of school employees reveals how far the public understanding of school realities has fallen.