Though Governor Schwarzenegger recently vowed to protect education from further reductions, his initial budget proposal for 2010-11 poses enormous challenges for school districts, most of which have already been decimated by cuts. Locally, the governor’s spending plan increases Irvine Unified’s operational shortfall for 2010-11 to more than $22 million, representing a dramatic increase from the $14.7 million gap identified in December. Superintendent Gwen Gross shares her thoughts about the state crisis and its impact on IUSD , which is presented in a Q&A format. On a related note, the IUSD Board of Education will hold a special Community Forum to discuss the budget from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The meeting will take in the Board Room at the District Office, located at 5050 Barranca Parkway.