In response to a probable $6.7 million shortage in school
funding, the Gilroy Unified School District has been revisiting and
revising a list of proposed budget cuts for the past several
months. Up until Thursday, however, the district was still $387,954
short in its game plan for cutting $6.7 million. Full article
Today’s breaking news:
In response to a probable $6.7 million shortage in school funding, the Gilroy Unified School District has been revisiting and revising a list of proposed budget cuts for the past several months.
Up until Thursday, however, the district was still $387,954 short in its game plan for cutting $6.7 million.
During a school board meeting Thursday evening at 7810 Arroyo Circle, GUSD trustees voted on a measure to help reach this target.
The proposal to utilize $375,000 in funds from the Special Education American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which would decrease the shortfall to $12,954, was unanimously approved by the board around 8:30 p.m.
Trustees also approved the motion to close the Home School Gilroy Program in June, which currently has 35 enrolled students and was encroaching on the district’s general fund by $29,000.
Following this, trustees discussed recent developments at the state level.
Negotiations to let voters decide on whether to continue temporary state tax extensions came to a screeching halt Tuesday, when Gov. Jerry Brown halted bipartisan state budget negotiations. Without the revenue needed to maintain minimum state-guaranteed flat funding for schools, GUSD will have to slash another $3.9 million from its budget by means of increased class sizes, more furlough days and additional undecided cuts.
“There is definitely no hope for a June special election at this point,” said Kirsten Perez, director of Fiscal Services for GUSD. “The new scar is that Gov. Brown has said education cuts could be $4 to $5 billion dollars. Originally he said it would be $2.1 billion.”
Initially GUSD was looking at a $330 loss per student, she said, addressing trustees.
“You can double that number, at least. Instead of $6.7 million dollars, there would be over $10 million to cut.”
Check back soon for more details on Thursday’s meeting.
