Difficult Budget Decisions Loom

As I have described in previous posts, Governor Brown's budget proposal would result in only minimal cuts to K-12 education in California, but only if California voters are given the opportunity to vote to extend existing tax levels and if they vote yes. This week, our Board approved a resolution urging the legislature to put the measure on the ballot so that voters have a chance to decide whether to keep the revenue stream in place to support schools and other key services.

Unfortunatly, even if the measure makes the ballot, the election will not be held until June. Since school districts are required to have a balanced budget by the end of June, we will have to proceed as if the taxes expire and we have a deficit to fill. Conservative estimates suggest that we would be short $349 per student if the tax measure fails, but some people, including the Legislative Analayst's Office, are now suggesting that the cuts could be more than twice that amount. (For the LAO's discussion of that scenario, click here.)

The next looming deadline is March 15, when certificated employees (teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians) must be notified that they may lose their jobs at the end of the year. Since we must be prepared for major cuts, it will be necessary to hand out a large number of "pink slips" again this year.

As budget planning and negotiations with our employee unions proceed, the district will have a better idea of what cuts will end up being made. In a future article, I will provide specifics of the cuts being proposed. Once again, it will be important for the public, particularly parents of our students, to comment on their priorities. What programs are more important to you - music, libraries, class size, counselors, middle school electives, etc? Over the next couple months, I will be asking for your feedback. Encourage as many people as possible to weigh in with their thoughts.

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.

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.