Bringing in the Public

By Ernest A. "ernie" Avellar

The duties and the very existence of county offices of education are little known to the general public. Citizens must be educated about this level of the education hierarachy that exists between the local school district and the State Department of Education (CDE)

A county office of education, though offering important services, is not as well known. As a result, unless parents wish to appeal a decision of their local school district about an inter-district transfer or an expulsion, they rarely ever come to a county board of education meeting.

The Alameda County Office of Education has a budget of $37 million that can be used to to help their children. But the public first has to know that this county office exists, then they have to know how to come to the county board of education and ask for help for their children.

Some of the programs carried out by the county office of education are required by law; for example, the Juvenile Court Schools. In addition, the office is required to oversee the budgets of local school districts. There is also about $11 million in grant money that is used for specific purposes.

How much of the county office of education's $37 million goes to direct service to students? Only about 25%. Here is an area in which the public can have real input. Where does the remainder go? It is used for teacher workshops, conferences, public relations, consultants. An important plank in my platform has been to re-direct more of this money to students.

More than $13 million is called "unrestricted." The law is vague as to who is responsible to determine budget priorities for this money. Is it the board, or is it the county superintendent? The Grand Jury has said that it is the board that must have the final say. The incumbent superintendent rejects that opinion.

In addtion to re-establishing the primacy of the board in the budget process, another one of my goals is to have public input into the budget and its priorities. My constiutents have made clear that they wish more of the $37 million budget go to direct service to students and less to administration.