Harsh Realities

In the last post, I wrote about Governor Brown's budget proposal. The package hinges on voters approving an extension of several state taxes on a ballot measure in June. Brown is being quiet about what failure of the tax measure would mean, but it is important for school districts to be prepared for that possibility.

Last week, I attended a budget workshop presented by School Innovations and Advocacy. One of the presenters suggested that the magnitude of cuts to schools if the ballot measure fails would be so great that it may be impossible for districts to make it through next year. He suggested that the only solution might be to close schools weeks early, in March. Can anyone imagine the long-term impact such an action would have on our children and on the state of California?

Schools have implemented such drastic cuts over the past 4 years that it is hard to imagine anything left that could be removed from schools. An analysis of the Berryessa School District budget points to budget cuts of nearly $9 million in the worst-case scenario. As a Board Member, I cannot even fathom making those cuts, which amount to over 20% of our current annual budget, which has already dropped by a similar amount in recent years. We will have to spend the next couple months figuring out a way to operate at those reduced levels. One thing is clear - many would no longer recognize their neighborhood schools.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer spoke over the weekend about the gravity of the state's budget situation and what failure of Brown's ballot measure would mean for schools. He said the only way to balance school budgets in that case would be to shut down K-12 schools 6 weeks early. He called that possibility "so awful I honestly don't know how any legislators can legitimately want to do that."

I agree. Let's make sure everyone (legislators, voters) knows what impact such a scenario would have on our schools. We can hope for the best, but must plan for the worst.

Governor Brown's Budget: Good for Schools?

Earlier this week, Governor Jerry Brown released his budget blueprint. After years of terrible cuts to California schools and other services, the state still faces a monstrous deficit of $25 billion over the next 18 months. In order to bridge that gap, Brown proposes a budget that relies on 50% program cuts and 50% revenue solutions.

The Governor recognized that K-12 “education has borne a disproportionate share of budget reductions in recent years” and proposes insulating schools from further cuts next year. The plan only succeeds, however, if voters support (in June) extending the tax increases that were put in place two years ago and are scheduled to expire this year. Doing so would provide $8 billion in revenue each year for the next 5 years. If these measures do not pass, schools would be faced with devastating additional cuts, the specifics of which are not known at this time.

Another part of the Governor's proposal would extend budget flexibility for two more years. This is important, because the Berryessa School District has saved nearly $2 million this year based on categorical program flexibility, reduced requirements for routine and deferred maintenance budgets, postponing instructional material adoption, and increasing class size.

Even if the Governor's plan is adopted in full, sparing school districts from further state cuts, our district must address an ongoing structural deficit. To do so requires about $2 million in budget cuts next year.

While we will work hard to support the extension of the existing tax levels, we must prepare for the worst case scenario, which may mean budget cuts of $5 million or more. Therefore, the district will have to prepare two budgets this spring, one that assumes the tax measures pass, and one that would be implemented if they fail.

Fasten your seatbelts, it is going to be a busy spring.

Thanks to Measure W

In 2008, the Board decided that the district should go to the voters for a local source of funding in order to supplement what we get from the state. At the time, we knew that tough times were coming and it would be crucial for us to raise local revenue so that we could continue to provide services to our students.

After conducting a scientific poll of Berryessa School District voters, the Board felt that a parcel tax of of $79 per parcel was likely to pass. The poll also helped us define the funding categories that would be listed as possible uses of the funds. In no particular order, these were: Attracting and retaining qualified teachers; Keeping school libraries open; Keeping classroom technology up-to-date; Maintaining reading/math tutoring; Providing hands-on science instruction; and Funding programs that enhance student achievement.

At our December 14 meeting, the Board officially allocated the programs from the 2010-2011 budget that are supported by Measure W funds. Without Measure W, the district would have been unable to sustain these programs.

• Maintaining a K-3 Class Size of 24:1 ($1,300,090) - Without Measure W, K-3 class size would have likely increased to more than 24:1.
• Music Programs ($69,000) - The district was able to continue our full elementary music program, starting in 3rd grade.
• Support for the "Step Up To Algebra Program" ($15,000) - The district uses Measure W funds to support a summer program that helps our students prepare for algebra in 8th grade.
• Calibration and Scoring of District Writing Sample ($10,000) - The district provides release time for middle school English teachers to assess student performance.
• Support for Libraries ($121,000) - The district has added a full time librarian and pays for 25% of our library media tech salaries out of Measure W funds.
• Counselor/Social Worker Position ($71,500) - Measure W funds allow the district to minimize the effect of having to eliminate counseling positions due to budget cuts.
• Support for School Participation in the BEST Program ($9,500) - The parcel tax money helps pay for teachers to attend the school-wide discipline and anti-bullying program.
• On-going Costs of Upgrading Student Used Technology ($97,000) - The district recently upgraded our technology infrastructure. Measure W helped pay for a fraction of that project.