Preparing for Significant Budget Cuts

It is looking less likely that Governor Brown will be able to get the tax extension measure on the ballot in June. Unfortunately for California schools, that means we will be forced to implement an all-cuts budget for 2011-2012. Projections are that we will have our state funding reduced by $349 per student. For Berryessa, that is about $2.8 million out of a budget that was already deficit spending by over $2 million.

Next Monday, March 28, the Board will be holding a workshop on the budget to discuss the cost-cutting options available to us. We encourage the public to provide input on the programs that are important to you or suggest ideas on how we can make these significant cuts. Please join us and speak up during the public comment portion of the meeting.

I have been proud of the fact that Berryessa has been able to keep K-3 classes at 24 students. Many districts have already increased classes to 30. For next year, we will need to find ways to reduce our budget. Further increases in class size, which result in greater burdens for our teachers and less personal attention for our students, provides the biggest dollar savings. If we were to go to 30:1 at the primary grades, that would save $1 million.

Other equally undesirable cuts include eliminating elementary school music, which would save about $300,000. Eliminating middle school counselors would save $400,000. Shortening the school year by furloughing employees would save $165,000 for each day. Other cuts on the table include eliminating the only district librarian, the only district nurse, and cutting middle school assistant principals.

To put things in perspective, each percentage cut in pay for all district employees would save $375,000. The entire $2.8 million reduction in state funding could be bridged through across the board salary reductions of 7.5%. While this would allow us to preserve all the programs we currently offer, this puts the entire burden of the state's economy on our district's hard-working employees, which is not fair to the people who work so hard to educate our children.

Note that many of the proposed cuts being discussed require negotiated settlements with our teachers' union. So besides discusions at board meetings, solutions will be derived from ongoing conversations with CTAB, as well as our two classified unions, CSEA and Teamsters.

As always, I will continue to keep you informed of these hard choices facing our district. Again, please consider attending our board meeting on Monday, March 28th to let your voice be heard on where our district should consider budget cuts. Know how much I appreciate your feedback; by email, through this blog, and by attending board meetings.

While none of the discussed budget choices are welcomed, I firmly believe that if we work together our children will benefit with a quality education.