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Alameda Unified School District

 

 

 

FISCAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06

 

 

Adjust Teacher Staffing as a Result of Lower Enrollment

 $         286,620

The district hired 5.0 ftes less than projected as a result of lower enrollment.  Completed in the current year and will be carried forward

 

into 2005-06.  NON-NEGOTIABLE

 

 

 

Implement the Mega-Item Transfer Provision

 $           55,000

State law allows transfer of funds from certain categorical programs to

 

others.  The result is less encroachment on the general fund.  Completed

in the current year and will be carried forward into 2005-06. 

 

NON-NEGOTIABLE

 

 

 

Eliminate a Carpenter Position

 $           67,319

The vacant position will not be filled as a result of implementing the hiring freeze.  Completed in the current year and will be carried forward

 

into 2005-06.  EFFECTS--NEGOTIABLE

 

 

 

Transfer Expenses to Restricted Programs

 $         102,094

Allowable charges to categorical sources for personnel will be maximized.

Director:                                  $47,450

Teacher Specialist:                     17,261

Personnel Manager:                   19,947

    Charges to Title II:                         $   84,658

Accounting Manager:   $17,436

    Charges to Title I:                          $   17,436

    Grand Total:                                                                      $ 102,094       

Completed in the current year and will be carried forward into 2005-06.

NON-NEGOTIABLE                                                                                                            

 

 

Implement a Spending Freeze in the District Office Only

 $         100,000

To be implemented in the current year 04-05.  NON-NEGOTIABLE

 

 

 

Implement a Hiring Freeze Districtwide

 $         100,000

All vacancies that happen during the year will be reviewed by the Executive

Cabinet (Dr. Nishino, Rose, Dailey, Legaspi)

 

Each vacancy will be reviewed on a case-by-case-basis.  One of three actions

will be taken:  1) fill position with a permanent employee; 2) fill position with

a substitute employee; or 3) leave position vacant.  To be implemented in the

current year 04-05.  This amount is considered soft and will not be known until

the end of the year.  NON-NEGOTIABLE                                                                             


Alameda Unified School District

FISCAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06

 

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Reduce Use of Substitute Custodians

 $           40,000

To be implemented in the current year 04-05.  A change has been made in

the Warehouse area which will allow us to reduce substitute expenditures. 

A Workers’ Compensation situation forced double manning of a position. 

This position has been eliminated and with it the need for double manning. 

The revised position is at a lower range and does not require the additional

manning. 

 

In addition, use of substitute custodians will be reduced during summer clean-

up.  By scheduling vacations and adjusting cleaning schedules, the summer

substitutes can be reduced.  EFFECTS--NEGOTIABLE                                                         

 

 

Reduce Energy Use by 5%

 $           40,000

To be implemented in the current year 04-05.  Working with Alameda

Power and Telecom, we have created a list of energy conservation tips. 

These tips will be forwarded to principals for implementation wherever

possible.  Some will be implemented by MOF personnel and others

can be done by site personnel.

 

Quarterly reports will be provided to the schools to allow them to see the

effectiveness of their efforts.  This amount is considered soft and will not

be known until the end of the year.  NON-NEGOTIABLE                                                      

 

 

Reduce Overtime

 $           20,000

To be implemented in the current year 04-05.  All scheduled overtime

must be preapproved by the Chief Financial Officer or his designee. 

The exception would be overtime resulting from the use of facilities by

outside groups who are charged for the overtime cost.

 

Alternatives to overtime will also be examined.  NON-NEGOTIABLE                         

 

 

Increase Revenue by Increasing Attendance by 1%

 $         482,300

Can be implemented in the current year 04-05.  Below are examples of

programs that school sites can implement.

High School-Procedures for Improving Attendance:

The attendance office is responsible for the following procedures and under

the supervision of the vice-principal the following will be areas of focus.

  • Generating a weekly attendance confirmation report to all teachers
  • Monthly attendance report to VP by grade level
  • Generating truancy notices
  • Verifying absences
  • Verifying the auto dialer reports

 

Teachers will be encouraged to call home and make parental contact. Counselors

will be given regular attendance reports and meet with those students with

excessive absences.

 

Alameda Unified School District

FISCAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06

 

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Vice principals will use the attendance report to make home contacts, scheduling

conferences, implementing a behavior support plan, and make referrals to SART,

SARB, and/or counseling services.

 

Middle School- Improve Attendance and Enrollment:

Keeping in mind the psychology of the middle school student, all ideas must

involve some sort of peer interaction without drawing too much attention to

the individual student.  Working with several teachers including a student

government sponsor at a middle school resulted in the following ideas:

  • First trimester, each student with perfect attendance for that trimester

            will receive some kind of recognition for perfect attendance on a

            themed spirit day

  • Second trimester, each student will receive a ticket to an ice-cream

            bash which can be funded by a combination of student body funds

            and the PTA.

  • For the final trimester, each student who has perfect attendance for

the entire year will receive a ticket for a free dance.  The dance can be

funded in the following way:  each school already sponsors dances

that use the services of local DJ’s.  Those dances are placed on the

school calendar well in advance.  If the school were willing to contract

a DJ for all of the dances in advance, then they should be able to

negotiate a free dance for the four or five that are paid.  We are able to

use this type of leverage at Lincoln and it would be worthwhile to try it

at other schools

 

In addition to the above ideas, the community can and should be involved:

  • A local Alameda paper could sponsor an advertising page using local

businesses as advertisers and publish the names of all middle school

students who have perfect attendance in the District over a given amount

of time.

  • These advertisers can offer coupons for free stuff (a soda or fries or

some other item, possible with purchase) to the students whose names

are published.

  • The newspaper receives additional advertising.
  • Sponsors receive the continued patronage of middle school children who

            will more than likely use their coupons with their friends or family.

  • Students will receive public recognition and free stuff for their good

            attendance.

 

Marketing Against Private Schools (AUSD loses enrollment going into 6th grade):

Administrators often meet with parents who live in the attendance area and

whose children attend private schools.  All of these parents share a common

concern about private schools:

  • There are very few electives available to middle school students in private

            schools

  • Access to band, art, shop and other elective programs

Alameda Unified School District

FISCAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06

 

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The District needs to begin to actively pursue these children.  Here are a few ideas

as to how this might be accomplished:

  • Develop fliers and brochures that highlight the great things going on in

Alameda Unified schools.

  • Each school should sponsor a series of open houses complete with school

            tours and opportunities to observe the school in action.

  • Offer after school activities that might be important for some of the parents and

students who are not a part of the public system, e.g. we might be able to draw

students away from the Chinese Christian School if we offered Chinese school

classes on site as an after-school program.

 

Elementary School-Attendance Procedures and Incentives:

Classroom recognition All Here attendance program:

Students must be in their lines on the yard and ready to start the school

day by 8:20 when the freeze bell rings to be considered on time. 

  1. Each classroom teacher has the letters that spell All Here
  2. Each class earns a letter each time everyone is in class and on time
  3. When a class has earned all the letters of All Here, (7 days) the teacher

            submits the teacher name and class room number to the principal

  1. The principal acknowledges the 100% All Here on the P.A. system
  2. The teacher receives a certificate for an ice-cream/pizza party*
  3. The attendance clerk/registrar coordinates the party selection

Once students have their first All Here, beads and a string are given to the teacher:

  1. Students must have 14 days of 100% All Here, on time attendance, a

            bead for each day

  1. When the class has received fourteen beads for the All Here, the teacher

             submits the teacher name and classroom number to the principal

  1. The principal acknowledges the 100% All Here on the P.A. system
  2. The teacher receives a certificate for an ice-cream/pizza party*
  3. The attendance clerk/registrar coordinates the party selection

This is repeated for 20 days, 30 days, 40 days, etc. 

 

Individual recognition attendance program:

In order to add further incentive and motivate children who are in attendance

every day, we have developed the following individual rewards for 100%

attendance (no tardies, missed school or absences):

Attendance assemblies are held within 5 days of each benchmark:

  1. Assemblies are held by grade level: K-1, 2-3, 4-5
  2. All grade level teachers are invited to stand at the front of the assembly

            when their grade level is presented.

  1. The principal calls out each student’s name
  2. The student comes to the front of the multipurpose room and everyone

            cheers and claps, receives the individual certificate and award, and the

            teachers and principal shake hands

  1. At the conclusion of each grade level, everyone claps and cheers for that

            grade level

This is repeated at each attendance assembly.  Some parents attend the assemblies.

 

Alameda Unified School District

FISCAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06

 

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Parent letters, notes in the weekly newsletter, PTA correspondence, etc. are

sent home every month reminding parents/families about the attendance

programs, importance of on-time, 100% attendance.  Below is the recognition

information given to all students and families:

Ø      50 consecutive school days: Certificate of Attendance, Pencil

Ø      100 consecutive school days: Certificate of Attendance, Attendance pin

Ø      150 consecutive school days: Certificate of Attendance, Lunch with principal

Ø      180 consecutive school days (all year without missing):

Certificate of Attendance, Pass to nearby amusement park/zoo

 

*money comes from student body funds and PTA donations.  **Certificates come

 from Lifetouch and are free

NON-NEGOTIABLE                                                                                                                

 

 

Utilize Measure C Funds for Equipment Purchases

 $         191,941

Equipment purchases currently budgeted under the General Fund

 

will be transferred to Measure C.  NON-NEGOTIABLE

 

 

 

Utilize Measure C Funds for Certain  Administrative Expenditures

 $           76,000

Certain administrative oversight expenses could be charged to Measure C.

 

This would only be effective through the life of the Measure C bonds.