Humboldt County educators on Wednesday said that a solid state budget helps them have a clearer picture of their own financial situation -- but it isn't a pretty picture.

College of the Redwoods, which had considered borrowing money just to stay open for fall semester, is more secure with a budget in place. But the Humboldt County Office of Education's long-awaited connection to the Digital California Project may be on the chopping block, and educators from kindergarten through university are making painful cuts.

Local schools will lose around $4.6 million out of their $152 million combined budgets -- a loss of around $5,750 per classroom, said Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools Garry Eagles.

He said the Legislature's statements about protecting education refer to its decision not to suspend Proposition 98, the constitutional requirement to fund public education at approximately 40 percent of revenues. But remedial programs, summer school, instructional materials, staff development for teachers, some specialized instruction programs like Gifted and Talented Education and other programs will be reduced, he said.

Educators in K-12 schools had already been warned of many of these cuts, so there weren't many surprises, Eagles said -- with one major exception. The budget includes a $6.6 million reduction to the Digital California Project, the statewide network which links schools to high-speed Internet connections and lets them reach educational programming, online conferences and research resources.

Humboldt and Del Norte counties are the only two in California not connected to the project. Schools have been ready to participate for three years, but couldn't because the fiber-optic line between Eureka and Ukiah wasn't complete. Construction crews for SBC began laying fiber-optic cable on Tuesday after a 19-month legal dispute delayed the project. The state Assembly voted on the budget containing the project cut the same day.

Janet Frost, administrative assistant at the county office, said the staff is still trying to determine what the $6.6 million cut will mean locally.

Humboldt State University President Rollin Richmond said the budget cuts to the university were mostly expected ones. HSU has already made some cuts for fall semester, but plans more of them in the spring.

Richmond said the original budget had included more cuts to specific programs, while the one passed this week allows more flexibility for California State University campuses to determine what to cut.

"It's almost always better, I think, when local constituencies are given the opportunity to address their budgets," he said.

CR President Casey Crabill said most of the cuts to community colleges have also been anticipated. CR has already cut many class sections.

College officials had worried they'd receive no money at all if the Legislature continued to stall on the budget. A recent state Supreme Court decision prohibits the state controller from allocating money to community colleges in the absence of a budget. Community college officials around the state feared they'd be unable to stay open for fall semester. CR trustees planned to vote next week on borrowing money to keep the doors open.

Crabill noted that the state budget includes a fee of $18 per unit, an increase over the current $11. Many of CR's students receive financial aid and may need more of it with higher fees, she said.

"I would say to students, 'Don't let the fee increase (or) the budget issues keep you from getting the education you need to reach the goals you set for yourself,'" she said.