SACRAMENTO – Lake County is among a handful of small rural counties that has been spared from cuts to their local First 5 early childhood development programs, state officials said Friday.

School districts in the county may also qualify for an exemption from having certain state payments deferred, according to a report from North Coast Assemblyman Wes Chesbro.

“The Legislature felt cuts to the First 5 program would hurt small counties disproportionately and the budget package we approved states that counties falling under a certain funding threshold are exempt from spending cuts to their local programs,” said Chesbro (D-Arcata). “First Five Lake County is one of the programs that qualifies for this exemption.”

When the Legislature cut $11 billion in state spending last month, included was a $1 billion funding shift away from First 5 California, which is funded by Proposition 10 tobacco tax money, to health care programs for children age 5 and under, Chesbro reported.

Assembly Bill 99, the budget trailer bill passed last month that contains the funding shift, includes language exempting local First Five programs that received $600,000 or less from Proposition 10 money. Chesbro said First 5 Lake County qualifies because it received $500,567 in Proposition 10 funds in fiscal year 2009-10.

Lake County’s small school districts may also be eligible for some relief in the form of exemptions from deferred payments the state authorized in the budget package passed last month, he said.

“School districts in rural counties that are at risk of not being able to meet their financial obligations if payments are deferred can apply for a hardship waiver to be exempt from the deferrals,” Chesbro said.

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