News Impacting CA School Districts Through November 20
Federal News
The California State Assembly will reconvene in December, a month earlier than planned, to hasten the state’s pursuit of federal Race to the Top stimulus funds. Read John Fensterwald’s opinion on what action the Legislautre should take. For a counter point, Chadwick Matlin piece in Slate calls it a race to the bottom.
Sacramento News
The LAO issued a fiscal outlook that shows that the state must address a General Fund budget problem of $20.7 billion between now and the time the Legislature enacts a 2010–11 state budget plan. The budget problem consists of a $6.3 billion projected deficit for 2009–10 and a $14.4 billion gap between projected revenues and spending in 2010–11. Addressing this large shortfall will require painful choices—on top of the difficult choices the Legislature made earlier this year.
A report of the 30 largest school districts in California shows class size is rising.
There are two questions facing public education: One, is it getting enough money? Two, is the money being spent wisely? On both counts, California’s method of financing its schools gets a big fat F.
A Manteca editorial calls for wholesale rejection of those elected to Sacramento.
The University of California regents voted to raise tuition by 32 percent as angry students pounded drums and blocked exits to the UCLA building where the regents were meeting.
Reforming State and Local Governance
The California Teachers Association continues to grapple with whether to pursue either of two proposed ballot initiatives it filed this month to generate billions for schools from large businesses. One of the initiatives would impose an additional half-percent ad valorem tax on commercial property, the other would loosen Proposition 13 restrictions by assessing such property at current market rates.
School District Impacts
In a report that sounded very much like a chain of previous reports dating back to at least August, the Chico Unified School District board of trustees that unless something changes in the economic future, the district will likely go into state receivership next summer.
As the Lodi school district begins to tackle what administrators say is a new deficit of $20 million to $30 million for 2010-11, the focus is likely to be on pay cuts, which has ruffled union leaders who represent thousands of employees. The same message is being at state’s largest school district Los Angeles Unified. Saying the district needs to bridge a $480 million budget gap for the 2010-11 school year, Cortines asked all employees to accept four furlough days this year and a 12 percent pay cut next year. Leaders of the LAUSD teachers’ union demanded that the district slash bureaucracy and disclose spending before imposing furloughs and deep pay cuts.
Teachers, classified staffers and administrators in the El Rancho Unified School District have agreed to take three furlough days this school year, which officials say will translate into about a 1.5-percent pay cut.
The Paramount Board of Education unanimously approved a plan to save $25 million over the next three fiscal years, in part by raising class sizes next school year in grades K-3 and in ninth-grade English and math classes. The class-size increases could result in about 17 teachers losing their jobs at the end of the academic year, district officials have said.
With major budget cuts looming, Stockton Unified is preparing to host a series of public forums at its four comprehensive high schools to allow parents and students to voice their opinions and suggest ways the district can save money.
Modesto City Schools’ advisory committee is charged with looking into areas the district could trim and recommending cutbacks to administrators. Members broke into small groups to talk about prioritizing a list of 50 cuts. Johansen High School Principal Thor Harrison noted that when he added up each item’s estimated cost savings, he totaled $11.5 million — not even half of what the district needs to axe. Committee members and the district’s board of education will confront difficult decisions about whether to do things such as rolling back employee pay, closing schools or reducing the number of days in the school year. Modesto Teachers Association President Barney Hale said cutting $25 million would require every employee to take a 12.5 percent pay cut.
To help offset an estimated deficit of up to $203 million to the San Diego Unified School District’s $1.2 billion operating budget next year, a committee presented a menu of potential cuts to the board. The findings include the potential elimination of several district departments, a move that would save money at the central office but would allow programs to continue at schools. The committee scoured 123 departments to find $33.7 million in cuts. The idea is to preserve programs but cut offices that could be absorbed by other departments. The committee also showed a savings by cutting employee hours and contracts.
Corona-Norco Unified School District announced a memorandum of understanding which allows teachers to volunteer for those duties without extra pay. Certain activities were suspended to save $350,000, mostly in teacher stipends for coordinators at each school. The stipends were required by contracts.
School boards are also feeling the squeeze as spending freeze are being implemented. In San Diego, a divided board opted against spending about $13,000 to cover dues for two national education organizations. Trustees also announced that they would put the kibosh on taxpayer-funded food at their meetings and workshops, and they balked at $835 in travel costs to send school board President Shelia Jackson on an otherwise free trip to China. The Alisal Union School District will no longer pay for board members’ health-care benefits, stipends, traveling allowance or Internet services.
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