Budget Cuts Approved
Board of Education Adopts Resolution to Reduce Programs and Services for 2009-2010
 State lawmakers have voted on
and approved their budget which now allows us to work with concrete
information in finalizing a balanced budget for San Marino Unified
School District by the statutory deadline of June 30, 2009. Although
we are still working through the final details of the state budget's
impact on our district, we are confident that our early
projections of a $5 million budget shortfall as outlined in our
previous email are correct.
As part of the Board of Education's legal responsibility to provide the Los Angeles County Board of Education with a plan for a balanced 2009-10 budget, and in compliance with Education Code to notify impacted certificated teachers of the possibility that their position may not be renewed in 2009-10, the board adopted a resolution on February 23, 2009 to reduce 48 certificated staff positions, which will impact 50-60 certificated professionals District-wide.
As discussed in previous newsletters (see our newsletter archive), the Board has called for a parcel tax election that would eliminate the need for these draconian cuts. The special mail ballot election will be on May 5, 2009. Until the results of the election are known, the Board is mandated to follow state law and prepare for the impact of state funding cuts should the parcel tax not pass.
Without approval of the parcel tax on May 5th, the Board's action tonight would eliminate the following certificated positions (Elementary: K-5; Secondary: Middle and High School):
- Middle School Assistant Principal
- High School Athletic Director
- Secondary Band (1 position)
- Secondary Foreign Language: French and Spanish (1.2 positions)
- Secondary Physical Science (3 positions)
- Secondary Life Science (1 position)
- Secondary Social Science (3 positions)
- Secondary English (4 positions)
- Secondary ELD (1.2 positions)
- Secondary Math (2 positions)
- Secondary Speech and Debate (1 position)
- Secondary Music and Choir (1.6 positions)
- Secondary Dance (0.6 position)
- Secondary Visual Art (2 positions)
- Secondary Counselor-Middle School (1 position)
- Secondary Counselor-High School (2 positions)
- Secondary At-Risk Counselor (1 position)
- Library Media Specialist (1 position)
- Middle School Boys P.E. (1 position)
- Elementary: K-5 (17 positions)
- Elementary: Grade 6 (1 position)
- Program Specialist (1 position)
Every teacher, counselor, librarian and specialist staff
member who is a part of the above list has had a personal meeting with
Dr. Gary Woods and the San Marino Teachers' Association (SMTA)
leadership team as part of the notification process.
This completes the first round of proposed budget reductions in the process of balancing our budget for 2009-10. And although already drastic, the above list does NOT get us to the $5 million projected deficit. Additional cuts, including our classified and administrative staff, will be required to balance our budget.
The County Office of Education is requiring a complete list of reductions from all districts no later than mid-March, which is in advance of legal requirements, because many districts have not sufficiently planned for the state budget impacts. As such, we are continuing our process of identifying the additional programs and services which will be affected by our reduced budget.
As mentioned in our last email, the Board of Education passed a resolution in February 3, 2009 to call for a parcel tax in the amount of $795 per parcel which would provide new and stable revenues of $4 million each year for the next 6 years to protect the legacy of excellence which has been built in our district over the past 50 years. If you would like more information on the parcel tax Measure E, please contact Mrs. Nam Jack, Chair of the Measure E Campaign.
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