News Impacting CA School Districts Through February 12
Federal News
The Obama administration trumpeted last fall that school districts had used stimulus money to save, or create, some 250,000 education jobs. Now the new studies point to the problems likely to beset thousands of school districts when the federal money runs out.
A new task force is charged with developing an interagency action plan to solve the problem of obesity among our Nation’s children as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign. The campaign will take a comprehensive approach to engage both public and private sectors to help children become more active and eat healthier within a generation, so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
State Controller John Chiang reported that California collected $1.28 billion more in January tax revenues than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger projected in his current budget plan.
Reforming State and Local Governance
Staggered by a 25 percent loss in the last fiscal year, the board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System began crafting a strategy to petition lawmakers for higher rates. CalSTRS gets more than $6.6 billion in annual contributions from the state, school districts and teachers. About $1.6 billion of that comes from the state.
With efforts for a Constitutional Convention placed on hold due to funding problems, the California Journal of Politics and Policy issued an analysis of the effectiveness of constitutional conventions.
The California Teachers Association has pitched half a million dollars into a campaign account for its proposed ballot initiative to repeal tax benefits for corporations approved over the last two years.
School District Impacts
Lake Elsinore
Look for more stories like this. The Lake Elsinore school district declared an impasse in negotiations with the teachers union. The district sought an agreement from the union for a one-time 10 percent salary reduction for all of its employees. Without concessions, district leaders have said they would have to lay off almost 500 employees and close up to four schools.
Sylvan Union
The Sylvan Union Board of Education approved a plan to lay off 50 employees for the next school year. In an effort to slash spending by $5 million, Modesto’s second-largest school district will increase class sizes and lay off 36 elementary teachers
Mt. Diablo USD
The Mt. Diablo school board has cut $4 million from adult education, counseling, intervention for struggling students, campus supervision, technology and staff training. An additional $17 million reduction could come from employee pay cuts, furloughs or higher benefit costs. The board has asked the administration to begin such discussions.
San Ramon USD
The San Ramon Valley school board has approved class size increases in kindergarten through third grade, as well as ninth-grade English and math courses, to account for a worst-case scenario in anticipated budget cuts. The district will seek some concessions from its employee unions, which could include furloughs, benefits caps, a reduction in salary schedules and a freeze on workers moving up the salary steps, to help improve its financial position.
Chaffey Joint Union
Chaffey Joint Union High School District will reduce the current school year by three days to help close a $11 million budget gap. The three days classes will be canceled are March 29, April 26 and May 17.
Menifee Union
Four management positions will be eliminated and 13 unpaid days taken by administrators over the next two years as the Menifee school district looks to close an $8.7 million budget gap. Members of the district’s two employee unions will be asked to join management in taking six furlough days in 2010-11 and seven in 2011-12
Long Beach
The Long Beach board voted to increase class sizes in kindergarten and third grades this fall to 30 students per teacher. Currently those grades are at 20 students per teacher. About 400 teaching positions are slated for elimination next school year as part of a plan to increase class sizes.
Saddleback Valley
Saddleback Valley Unified officials announced they are seeking $26 million in pay concessions from district employees to help close the district’s gaping $33 million deficit, even as about 400 teachers and their supporters crowded a school board meeting to complain about “bullying and posturing.”
San Diego
Hundreds of teachers, parents and students rallied in the rain to protest millions of dollars in proposed cuts to the San Diego Unified School District’s budget and a contract offer that calls for slicing educators’ pay by 8 percent.
Poway USD
Facing a possible budget deficit of as much as $24 million this coming school year, the superintendent of the Poway Unified School District is proposing cutting teacher and other employee salaries by a total of 7.5 percent and reducing the number of educational days in the school year by five.
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