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Home :: Discover EGUSD :: Superintendent :: Superintendent's Message
For a third year in a row, the Elk Grove Unified School District faces severe budget cuts for the next school year due to the State’s lack of funding for public education. Despite Governor Schwarzenegger’s claim that he is “protecting” public education, a further analysis of his January budget proposal demonstrates that school districts once again face deep cuts in 2010-2011. Public education in California has already lost $17 billion in funding over the past two years.
For the Elk Grove Unified School District the reduction in State funding means a loss of $60.5 million to our $470 million general fund. This follows two years of budget reductions totaling more than $40 million. Due to decisions made by the Governor and the legislature, EGUSD will have to make more than $100 million in budget cuts over three school years. It’s mind boggling.
Also frustrating is that several news reports have indicated that the legislature may not address public education funding until after the Governor’s May budget revise. As a school district, we must submit a balanced three year budget projection to the Sacramento County Office of Education by July 1, despite the real possibility that we won’t have an adopted State budget by that time. The district’s three-year budget must demonstrate that EGUSD has made the cuts necessary to remain solvent based on the most current budget information available from the State.
While we are a long way away from the final state budget, we are mandated to meet set timelines as we move through the State required budget process. One deadline is the legal requirement to issue preliminary notices to certificated staff, which includes teachers, by March 15. It has also been the practice of the district and its employee associations to issue notices to classified staff at the same time as certificated.
In order to meet the March 15 deadline, on March 2 the Board of Education took action on a number of resolutions to eliminate positions within the district in order to balance the budget for 2010-2011. These resolutions will initiate initial layoff notices being sent to our employees. The resolutions and identified positions can be viewed on the district’s Budget Watch webpage.
The number of layoff notices that the district must issue this year is truly staggering. It is absolutely appalling that the State’s lack of funding for public education would impact the lives of more than 1,000 EGUSD staff members, which is almost one-sixth of our workforce. By law, the district has to notice those employees who are directly affected by the reduction in services as well as those who are impacted by the bumping rights of other employees.
These notices represent approximately 545.6 certificated and 272.2 classified positions. This year, of the total 817.8 full time equivalent (FTE) positions, approximately 300 FTE are being noticed because their position is funded through grants or categorical dollars that have expired or revenue sources that are uncertain. The district annually notices a number of these positions until their funding stream is confirmed. Once the funds are secured, offers of employment are once again extended to these individuals.
The list of positions identified as part of the district’s $60.5 million in budget reduction for 2010-2011 is truly heartbreaking. It includes the elimination of counselors, librarians and librarian technicians and the reduction of school administrators, paraprofessionals and many more. It means higher class sizes in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, less Regional Occupation Program options for students, fewer afterschool programs and no summer school in 2010.
As we move through the budget cycle we must plan for what we know, realizing that there is much uncertainty as to the ultimate decisions that will be made by our State leaders. As we monitor what takes place in the legislature, we also continue in our conversations with our labor associations with hopes that these discussions will lead to concessions that may lower the total impact of the budget cuts on our employees, allowing us to keep programs and services in place for our students. We are also working with our parent community to harness ideas surrounding fundraising.
Parents and community members can also help us through this process by advocating on behalf of adequate funding for public education. California now ranks 47th in the nation for per pupil funding of K-12 public education, according to the New York Times newspaper. I worry about what that statement says to the businesses that we must attract to remain competitive in the 21st century global economy. An educated workforce is a necessary ingredient in a healthy economy.
We will continue to post updates on the EGUSD Budget Watch webpage as we move through the budget cycle. Thank you for your continued support of the Elk Grove Unified School District.
Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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