GILROY
– The Gilroy Unified School District is bracing itself now for
almost certain state budget cuts that will likely spill over to
education.
GILROY – The Gilroy Unified School District is bracing itself now for almost certain state budget cuts that will likely spill over to education.
District officials are regularly updating one another regarding the latest word from the state and looking at areas where the GUSD can trim down, Superintendent Edwin Diaz said this week.
“There’s not a lot we can curb back, but the first thing you do as a district is not fill vacant positions,” Diaz said.
Diaz stressed that any cutback would not be seen in teacher salaries or teaching hours. In budget-lean times, school districts often reduce the amount of full-time teachers on the payroll, filling open classes with part-time teachers in order to avoid paying, for instance, health and vacation benefits.
“That’s the last thing we’d do. Classroom instruction is the least desirable thing to cut,” Diaz said.
Diaz’s announcement came during a Parent Advisory Council meeting Tuesday night when a parent asked why there were no new hires this year for district maintenance.
Diaz told the parent it likely was due to little employee turnover in that department and a significant increase in maintenance positions over the last few years. But Diaz then cautioned parents about the state cuts.
“We are expecting midyear budget cuts from the state. Expect an announcement in January,” Diaz told parents at the advisory session.
The district has earmarked $2.1 million for maintenance this school year, roughly 3.4 percent of its overall budget. Even if budget cuts meant slashing that amount, the district would still dedicate 3 percent of its budget – the state minimum – toward maintenance.
Diaz holds the advisory sessions monthly to keep his finger on the pulse of the district, taking time to hear parent concerns and answer questions. Up to two parents from each school site and representatives from district stakeholder groups, such as special education parents, comprise the advisory council.
At the session, Diaz invited the roughly two dozen parents to be a part of a new strategic planning committee, a group that will have a hand in what programs and services remain a funding priority next school year.
Diaz is establishing the committee to increase parent and stakeholder group involvement in the annual budget planning process. The group will meet Feb. 8 and March 14 at yet-to-be-determined locations. The sessions will precede budget workshops typically held in June.
