[Editor’s Note: A message from the Superintendent of the School District regarding proposed budget cuts just ahead of tonight’s 6:15 public meeting at School District headquarters when a citizen committee will finalize its recommendations.]
I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to meet with me regarding the devastating impact of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget on the School District.
This will serve as a review of the facts as we know them today.
The state Legislature is planning to announce its budget compromise. However, the proposed compromise also is extremely damaging to education.
The Numbers
Under the provisions of Prop. 58, passed by voters in March 2004, Gov. Schwarzenegger, on Jan. 10, declared a fiscal emergency in California. This emergency was based on a cumulative budget shortfall in fiscal year 2008-’09 of $14.5 billion.
The governor’s fiscal emergency proclamation requires the legislature to assemble in special session to address this fiscal emergency and adopt a plan within 45 days. If the Legislature fails to send the governor a budget correction plan within this period, it would be prohibited from acting on any other legislation or from adjourning until such a plan is passed.
Cutting Back
In conjunction with declaring this fiscal emergency, the governor asked all state agency departments to develop action plans for reducing their expenditures by 10 percent.
The governor’s state budget proposal, coupled with the School District’s declining enrollment, results in a reduction of unrestricted General Fund revenues of approximately $3.7 million. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to increase District revenue to offset this monumental loss of state funding.
Therefore, Culver City, like all school districts, must make equivalent cuts in expenditures in order to remain fiscally solvent.
A Onetime Refund
Based on an actuarial study completed in December, a maximum of $1,274,353 is available to be refunded to the School District.
This is one-time money and cannot fund ongoing costs such as salaries, benefits and programs. The School Board is deliberating the wisest use of this monetary allocation in this very challenging budgetary situation,
This information has been shared with the leadership of the teachers’ and certified employees’ unions.
The assistant superintendents and I, school site and central office staff, the Community Budget Advisory Committee and the School Board have been gathering input from the community and from employees regarding potential expenditure reductions and ideas for increasing revenue.
Not Business as Usual
At the same time, a hiring freeze, coupled with the postponement or elimination of non-critical purchases, has been implemented in order to conserve revenue and reduce expenses in the current year.
In addition to tonight’s 6:15 meeting at District Headquarters, on Irving Place, cuts also will be discussed and action taken at the School Board’s next meeting, Tuesday at 7 o’clock, in the Board Room.
We must all work together to address this unprecedented fiscal challenge to the education of today’s youth.
A Direct Route
In addition to the two opportunities lusted above, please feel free to email suggestions for potential cuts to me — at myrnariveracote@ccusd.org — or to David El Fattal, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services.
As always, we are making every attempt to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as we can.
This is not a time for business as usual. And all of your suggestions are being carefully reviewed and considered.
