Public education in the Santa Clarita Valley was addressed by five local superintendents at a culminating luncheon for the 20th annual Principal for a Day event Friday.

The panel discussion was held at the Santa Clarita Activities Center with about 140 educators, future educators and business leaders in attendance.

Shrinking budgets for public education in California was the main focus during a question and answer session.

Rob Challinor, Superintendent of the William S. Hart School District, said that he considers the school districts in Santa Clarita to be “victims of their own success”.

Despite facing dramatic cuts passed down by the State of California over the past five years, Challinor said the schools in the Santa Clarita Valley have been excelling in academics and continuing to provide extracurricular programs that “thrive.”

“There’s nothing left to cut,” said Challinor, who called the financial situation in California a “serious crisis”.

Funding for schools has been reduced 22 percent over the last three years, said Dr. Joan Lucid, Superintendent of the Saugus Union School District.

Lucid thanked the audience for participating in the Principal for a Day event, a fundraiser for the SCV Education Foundation.

More than 70 business leaders and community members spent Friday morning on school campuses throughout the valley job shadowing principals, assistant principals and superintendents of five local school districts, before coming to the afternoon luncheon.

The event gives the public a sneak peek at a day in the life of public educators in Santa Clarita.

This year’s event was co-chaired by Gail Pinsker, Community Liaison Officer for the William S. Hart Union School District and SCV Education Foundation Board Member, and Renee Marshall, College of the Canyons TEACH program director and member of the SCV Education Foundation Board.

“This event is a great opportunity for business and community leaders to see first-hand the accomplishments and challenges faced in our high-performing SCV public schools,” said Pinsker.

“Our kids are the future of our community and it is important to forge education and business partnerships to best prepare students of today to be tomorrow’s workforce.”

The SCV Education Foundation was established in 1995 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to public education in Santa Clarita.

The foundation provides educational scholarships to graduating high school seniors who aspire to enter the educational career workforce.

It also provides tens of thousands of dollars in materials to schools to support program in science, technology, literature, art and music through its Student Enrichment Program.

For more information on the SCV Education Program visit www.scveducationfoundation.org.

You can watch the entire Principal for a Day panel discussion, “SCV Public Education” on Sunday, February 19 at 9 a.m. and Wednesday February 22 at 5 p.m. on SCVTV.