LAKE COUNTY ? While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger”s May budget revise reinstates the minimum school funding law ? Prop. 98 ? it still cuts billions of dollars to schools, provides a “zero cola” or cost of living increase, and deep across-the-board categorical cuts ? or funds that must be spent in specific categories.
The eight school districts in Lake County are grappling with the budget ? cutting a little bit here and a little bit there ? and for the most part, districts handed out pink slips to many employees who will be unemployed at the end of the school year.
State-wide, more than 20,000 employees received pink slips. And many school districts proposed class size increases and expect to cut extra-curricular programs such as art, music and career technical education.
Middletown District Superintendent Korby Olson said with the budget revision released last week, he thinks the Governor and Legislators are “moving in the right direction.”
But the zero cola will hurt. “The price of gas, the cost of everything has gone up. But it does at least acknowledge that voters supported Prop. 98, and before there was a 2.4 percent cut in the revenue limit funding ? that will not be there next year. Clearly people support more funding for education, and so the Legislators and the Governor are going to have to do some work,” Olson said.
Originally Middletown was going to cut back $850,000 in spending, but with Prop. 98 reinstated, $250,000 will be restored to its budget.
The district initially issued 11 pink slips to teachers in March, but cut the total final notices down to five, Olson said. In addition, five classified employees won”t return next year and one administrative position has been laid-off.
The district tentatively plans to cut some intervention programs at the school, including a retention program that aides students at risk of being held back a year. The high school will drop an English teacher, and a social studies/English teacher will fill the gap. “We”re going to have to tighten our belts and adjust within,” Olson said.
At a district board meeting next week, the budget will be reviewed and further decisions could be made regarding which programs will be cut.
“I think that the thing that”s not recognized is that really school districts ? we”re an economic engine. When we cut $600,000, there”s going to be an impact on the local economy,” Olson said, because the school has substantial purchase orders with local vendors.
And of those laid-off, Olson said, “We hope that they get jobs elsewhere ? but if they don”t, what money they would have made and would be spending in the community is not going to be there.”
Upper Lake Elementary District Superintendent Kurt Herndon issued one lay-off notice, but hopes to hire that teacher back.
“Without a cola and declining enrollment ? it really puts a bite on us,” Herndon said.
Louise Nan, Konocti District Superintendent said of the cuts, “They”re devastating to education.”
The district issued 34 lay-off notices to teachers, and 18 final notices. Of those, four were temporary one-year positions, three administrative positions and 10 are regular classroom teachers. “We”re hoping to rescind those notices and bring them back,” Nan said of the 10 teachers.
About 40 lay-off notices are anticipated to classified staff, with final lay-offs expected to be issued to between 25-30 classified employees.
“The board will be looking at all of the impacts of the May revision. Until we have a signed budget, we”re going to proceed cautiously. The level of devastation of these budget cuts is unprecedented since 1978,” Nan said.
Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lucerne and Upper Lake High School Superintendents could not be reached by press time Tuesday.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
