LOWER LAKE — At its Wednesday, April 16, meeting the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees took further steps to reduce a deficit caused by cuts in state funding.
Notices of non-re-employment were issued to a number of classified employees. “This is the first step in a lengthy, multi-step process,” said Assistant Superintendent Cliff Lantz. “I don”t anticipate that the majority of people on this first list will lose their jobs,” he added, “but they may find themselves in other places.”
Lantz explained that if a person with seniority loses a position in one location, he or she may take the position of someone else in another location over whom he or she has greater seniority.
Some of the layoffs were due to changes in student needs and others were due to budget reductions, loss of funding source or were per a staffing plan. The resolution states that notices of layoff shall be given concerning 26 classified positions effective at the end of the school year.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for 10 percent reductions in state funding “across the board” and the cuts include education. Correspondence from David Geck, Lake County superintendent of schools, indicates that Konocti faces a deficit of approximately $1 million for the 2009-2010 school year and acknowledges the shortfall as a “direct result of the reduction in funding from the state of California.” The LCOE is offering to work with Konocti to eliminate its budget shortfall for 2009-2010.
Other actions before the board included consolidation of three bus routes into two, an increase in developer fees and an increase in meal prices for the 15 percent of students who are able to pay full-price. This action does not affect the 85 percent of Konocti students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
