Four billion dollars.

Billion with a b.

That is how much money Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed to cut from California schools from elementary to high school to community college.

What a shame.

That’s $100 per student for all public schools throughout California.

That’s every student from Kindergarteners to high school freshmen and college sophomores whose educations are being put on the line.

And though it might not seem overly dramatic at first glance, think of this: according to ChildStats.gov, 25 percent of the United States population are minors. That is 73.7 million children.

73.7 million children whose education can very well predict our future.

What a shame.

Because, though balancing a budget is an understandable reality, particularly for such a large institution like an entire state, taking away from the future is not a desirable choice.

Schwarzenegger said during the State of the State address delivered last month that California does not have a “revenue problem” but rather a “spending problem.”

Meaning that we have the money. We simply spend more than what we have.

This might be a comfort for taxpayers to know that their money isn’t simply disappearing, but the fact that these cuts may be a reality very soon, and that they will hit hardest on education, doesn’t change the problem much.

Obviously, one high school newspaper cannot conceive of a feasible solution to such an immense problem. And this group of high school students isn’t trying.

We understand that a large percentage of the state budget goes to education and so when a budget cut is needed, it will take away a large portion of the education budget.

But we hope that legislators understand that this isn’t just about economics.

This is not just about too much spending.

And it’s definitely not just about cutting spending.

These cuts could mean the difference between smaller class sizes for young learners to receive adequate one on one time with a teacher and classes so large a student might get lost in the shuffle and fail.

These cuts could mean the difference between having enough qualified teachers for each high school course and having long-term substitute teachers for core subject classes.

And these cuts could mean the difference between scholarships and grants being able to pay for a student’s entire college education and a student going in debt before they even really start making money.

A good education means a good future.

A cliché, yes. But true.