At the most recent School Board meeting on Nov. 13, a regular enrollment report was presented by the School District. For the practiced eye, the numbers demonstrate the challenges of the next six years at least.
Current enrollment, kindergarten through 12th grade, is 6,564 students. But a breakdown by grade illustrates the issues:
At the elementary level:
K = 442
1 = 411
2 = 447
3 = 440
4 = 445
5 = 450
Other = 31
Total 2,666 students for an average of 444.34 students per grade.
At the secondary level:
6 = 479
7 = 519
8 = 551
9 = 611
10 = 580
11 = 575
12 = 497
Other = 86
Total 3,898 students for an average of 556.86 students per grade.
Analysis:
The state of California and private demographers have said this trend could flatten out or continue for a number years before reversing direction.
Assuming attendance declines no further but remains at the current average of 444 students per entering year, the School District faces a loss of 1,232 students over the next six years. State funding is based on Average Daily (student) Attendance, at $35 per day per student for the School District, $5,896 per student per year.
This equates to a loss of almost $7.3 million.
Time to Shrink Staff?
Since 94 percent of the budget currently goes to compensation, this requires a reduction of staff equivalent to $6,828,000 over the next six years.
In the last round of budget cuts, during the 2001 recession, the School District cut support staff, which resulted in fewer janitors, security staff and reduced hours for many clerical and administrative support personnel. According to the independent audit by the renowned private company School Services Inc., the District Administration currently supports more students per person than any comparable district. There is little room to cut personnel from any ranks in the District other than teachers.
Show me the money.
Sacramento of No Help
To make matters (potentially) worse, Gov. Schwarzenegger has asked each agency to produce a budget sporting a 10 percent reduction due to declining state revenues — including education.
An $11.4 million unfunded retirement obligation has to be addressed (a statewide problem for most governmental bodies) and funds received from the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (over $1 million per year) will go away by 2025. Additionally, and there are on-going labor negotiations with the two unions (Teachers Union and Classified Employees Union) just under the surface.
Is there a solution?
Without a change in the way the state of California funds public education, what can a school district do?
Small Answers
Modest income is realized from facilities-use rentals. But a full time facilities manager who can properly tend our athletic fields, facilities, auditorium and other properties could realize a higher return on rental for District properties.
Although not a sustainable source for program funding, many grants are available. A full-time grant writer can be hired by the District at a minimum cost with bonuses based on successfully obtaining grants. Culver City could vote to support a parcel tax as a supplement to state funding, and it might be time to put this to a vote.
However, these are mere tilts at the windmill of state funding.
The Ultimate Answer
To obtain a true measure of independence, the School District requires what every college and university establishes to sustain programs and quality teaching staff – an endowment.
Does not Culver City have a sufficient number of successful alumni, residents and local businesses from whom tax deductible donations can create an endowment of substance?
Once established, the interest from an endowment of substance can provide a sustainable cash flow sufficient to divorce academics from average daily attendance based funding.
