GILROY
– The school board formally approved the district’s three-year
revised budget that cuts hours equaling 20 full-time positions,
doesn’t account for rising benefits costs and leaves the district
$300,000 short for the 2003-04 school year.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – The school board formally approved the district’s three-year revised budget that cuts hours equaling 20 full-time positions, doesn’t account for rising benefits costs and leaves the district $300,000 short for the 2003-04 school year.
Five trustees – Bob Kraemer and David McRae were absent – gave the final vote of approval for Gilroy Unified School District’s $68 million general fund budget Thursday night, after revisions that took more than six months and were discussed at three special board meetings.
Despite getting slightly more money from the state than expected given its current fiscal crisis, the district still made $2.25 million in reductions for the next three school years.
GUSD will have a surplus of $224,000 above the required reserves next year. In 2006, the surplus is estimated to be $647,000.
Board President Jaime Rosso noted that the budget assumes an attendance improvement of 0.75 percent, which would bring in roughly $338,000 more in state funding. Two years ago, budget forecasts through 2005 assumed a 1.5 percent attendance increase. After that failed to materialize this year and the district lost $337,000, the district scrapped the projected improvement. For next school year, GUSD halved the previous expected increase to 0.75 percent.
“That didn’t happen last year, and we have factored that in, so that might be a little optimistic,” Rosso said. “Not that we wouldn’t try to get it, but keep in mind that that might not happen.”
District officials have acknowledged that meeting even the lower increase will be a challenge.
Lori Stuenkel covers education for The Dispatch. She can be reached at 847-7158 or ls*******@************ch.com.
