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.

District Budget Update

Every December, the school district is required to submit an interim budget report to the County Office of Education. In that report, the district must include the latest numbers for the current year and project out for two more years. In the current report, the third year, 2012-2013, has a projected deficit of $2.75 million. Significant cuts will need to be made to solve this problem. Since those cuts are not yet built into the budget, the district will have to submit the budget to the County with "qualified" status, and won't be receiving "positive" certification.

This deficit is based on current assumptions about the state budget. But as we speak, California is grappling with a deficit that has grown to nearly $28 billion. It is hard to imagine the legislature solving that budget problem without further cuts to education. One ominous sign is that the Proposition 98 guarantee will once again be reduced. In addition, each of the past two years, our budget crisis has been cushioned by federal stimulus money. With the change in Congressional leadership, no further federal stimulus money can be expected.

In last year's state budget deal, the legislature added $1.7 billion back to the proposed school budget. However, payment of was deferred until next fiscal year. Now, the safe bet is that schools will never see that money. Add to that the $2 billion reduction in the Proposition 98 guarantee, and it is possible that schools will face the loss of another $600 per student.

All of these cuts mean that California continues to shortchange our students. Basic support for K-14 education in California has fallen by $6.6 billion, or 13 percent, since 2007-08. And while every state-funded program needs to absorb cuts during this recession, the rest of the general fund budget, excluding education, has declined by only 0.7 percent. If the cuts described above occur, then cuts to education over the current 5 year period will reach 17 percent. Read more about how schools have taken the lion's share of the budget hit here.

RuskinFIT Wins Regional Award

Ruskin Elementary School has been participating in the Governor's Fitness Challenge for several years and this year was the regional winner for the entire Bay Area. 100% of their students participated, meaning they spent at least 30 minutes exercising every single day. With the obesity epidemic in American these days, being physically fit is important.

Ruskin Elementary School recognizes that being fit is not just good for us physically, but also leads to better academic outcomes. Their description of being RuskinFIT "include being academically and emotionally smart, physically active, and civic minded." Today, Kenny Rogers from the Governor's Fitness challenge recognized Ruskin and helped CVS Pharmacy present the school with $6000. The first $5000 will be used to provide fitness equpment for the school and the remaining $1000 is in the form of a CVS gift card to buy any supplies that the school needs.

Ruskin has twice been a California Distinguished School this decade, and being fit is a large part of their success. They have carried the program to a higher level, teaming up with the Nike Store for NikeFIT days on Fridays and will be installing a school garden to promote healthier eating habits. And they were recently featured in TriSports.com's blog.

Piedmont Middle School has also been very successfully participating in the Governor's Fitness Challenge. I have been promoting the idea that all of our schools should introduce fitness programs based on the fact that physical fitness helps promote mental fitness, which leads to improved academic performance. Tonight, Brooktree Elementary School kicks off their participation in the challenge. They will be joined by Ada Wong, a finalist on the current season of NBC's Biggest Loser.

Congratulations to Ruskin for a job well done!

Low Performing Schools?

Early in 2010, the California legislature passed legislation that required the State Board of Education (SBE) to issue regulations allowing parents to apply to transfer their children from specified underachieving schools to higher-performing schools. Over the summer, SBE approved emergency regulations and generated a list defining the state's 1,000 "low achieving" schools. Any school on the list was required to notify parents of their option to transfer their children to a higher scoring school.

The formula used to identify schools for the list has been criticized as flawed by state officials, legislators, and members of SBE. Ironically, the 2010 list of "low achieving" schools includes 31 schools that scored above the target API of 800. Two of those schools are in the Berryessa Union School District; Brooktree, which scored 830 this year, and Toyon, which scored 810.

While we know that these schools are performing well and making great strides, being identified as a "low achieving" school is demoralizing for teachers, staff, and families. Fortunately, the state has a waiver process so that schools can be removed from the list. Next week, at our November 16 Board meeting, the BUSD Board will hold public hearings to approve submitting waivers for Brooktree and Toyon to the State Board of Education.

Budget Update

As you know, California finally has a budget for 2010-11. The good news is that the budget, while providing less money for education than last year's budget, included more money for schools than the Governor's May Revise budget proposal. That means that there is more money coming to our school district than we planned for when this year's budget was approved. When I last discussed the budget, our district's projected deficit for next year (2011-2012), excluding one-time federal money, was about $1.7 million.

The new state budget will help us minimize the deficit next year, but we will still need to look at some reductions to address the anticipated $4 million strucutural deficit that must be addressed over the next two years.

Our district's Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services, Pam Becker, gave a very thorough presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at a special board meeting on the budget. You can view this presentation here.

The risk is that the state budget only resolved about half the state's budget problem. The Legislative Analysts Office is already projecting that California is facing an $18 billion deficit in 2011-2012. Therefore, we have to be prepared for possible mid-year budget cuts and the possibility of cuts in next year's budget.

But at least the district can breathe a bit easier for now. Thanks to everyone in the district for helping weather the storm of the past couple years. And special thanks to Pam Becker and her department for quickly analyzing what the recently passed state budget means for Berryessa schools.

Program Improvement

Last month, I posted a discussion of the national Adequate Yearly Progess measures that are part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, previously knows as No Child Left Behind.

Our school district learned that 4 of our schools [Morrill (year 3), Summerdale, Vinci Park, and Piedmont] are now considered "Program Improvement" (PI) schools. To be labeled a PI school, a school may miss just one of 46 possible measures. Learning where our schools are falling short is a key way to focus on improving achievement.

In addition to the individual schools, our district is now considered a "Program Improvement" district. As a result of this designation, our district must undertake a very thorough study of how we are providing what are called 9 Essential Program Components. This study will be done during the next two months. Our Education Services Department, under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent Barbara Johnston, will lead the study and the effort to implement corrective actions at our schools.

Last night, the Board held a study session to learn more about what the district needs to do address its deficiencies and what kinds of restrictions and requirements are placed on PI schools and districts. A discussion of what it means to be a PI school is available on the district website. The law imposes some restrictions on how Title I money can be spent and will require additional Supplemental Instruction activities be offered.