A special meeting of the Board of Directors takes place February 28 at 7 p.m. at to grapple with how to maintain the fiscal solvency of the district and at the same time preserve school programs.
Parcel tax survey results to be shared at meeting
At the school board's meeting on December 6 it approved a contract with The Center for Community Opinion. The contract authorized consultant Brad Senden to develop survey questions to assess community support and priorities for a potential parcel tax measure. Subsequently, the Board also entered into the contact with The Lew Edwards Group to advise the District regarding how to best proceed with a potential parcel tax.
For the past several months, a team consisting of consultants Brad Senden, Catherine Lew and Bonnie Jean von Krogh, representatives from CTA, SLTA, CSEA, Teamster/Trades, and SLMA, Deborah Cox chair person of the Measure B & M Bond Oversight Committee and District staff have met to develop and refine the survey questions.
During the week of February 12th, The Center for Community Opinion contacted approximately 400 voters and conducted the survey.
At 7:20 p.m. during Tuesday's meeting, Senden will provide highlights of the survey to be considered by board members.
San Leandro Unified School District Superintendant, Cindy Cathey posted the following message on the district's website about the meeting.
Dear Staff and Community Members,
Due to the budget crisis in the State of California since 2008, the Board of Education has had to repeatedly make difficult budget reduction decisions balancing their unwavering desire to preserve programs and services for students with their fiduciary responsibility to ensure the fiscal solvency of the District.
The Governor’s proposed budget plan for 2012-2013 is filled with many unknowns, including whether or not his proposed tax initiative will be passed by the voters in November 2012. Yet again, because of inadequate and unstable funding for education and because of the uncertainty associated with the Governor’s proposed budget, the Board must have a contingency plan in place if the tax initiative does not pass.
Unfortunately, the Board cannot take a “wait and see” approach, because if the tax initiative does not pass, the cuts become effective on January 1, 2013. This does not allow the Board adequate time to make new cuts. The Board is left with no options other than prepare for the worst.
While the Board has begun developing a $2.7 - $3M contingency plan, they must finalize the plan at this meeting. These new cuts will be in addition to the severe cuts that are already slated to take place beginning July 1, 2012. Those drastic cuts include:
San Leandro Unified School District
Budget Cuts for 2012-2013 and beyond
DRAFT
DESCRIPTION
2012 - 2013
2013 - 2014
1
Increase K-3 CSR to 32:1 - estimated 6 to 7 FTEs
$420,000
$420,000
2
Eliminate Middle School Counselors - 4.6 FTEs
$413,000
$413,000
3
Reduce 50% Instrumental Music
$85,000
$85,000
4
Reduce Lighthouse - 1.0 FTE
$64,000
$64,000
5
Reduce Campus supervisors - 2 FTEs
$90,000
$90,000
6
Eliminate Elementary Library Para Educators - 2.66 FTEs
$73,000
$73,000
7
Reduce VP - Middle & Elementary 1.0 FTE
$116,000
$116,000
8
Reduce Custodian - 1.0 FTE
$44,000
$44,000
9
Reduce AP Clerk - .25 FTE
$15,000
$15,000
10
Reduce Maintenance Supervisor - .20 FTE
$19,000
$19,000
11
Eliminate Instructional Coach - Pilot Program - 1.0 FTE
$90,000
$90,000
TOTAL
$1,429,000
$1,429,000
These are very distressing times for public education and for San Leandro Unified in particular. The lives of our employees and the essential programs and services to our students are profoundly impacted in ways that cannot be measured. Every effort is being made to be sensitive and respectful to all of our employees, especially those who are affected by the reductions that have already been made and that are yet to come.
While the Board is required to plan for additional reductions, they do want to hear from our employee groups and the public. I hope that you are able to attend this meeting.
Sincerely,
Cindy M. Cathey
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