GILROY
– Department heads and administrators at Gilroy Unified School
District are trimming up to 11 percent of their annual spending
budgets to brace for impending cuts coming down from the state.
Superintendent Edwin Diaz says the move
– along with the district’s already-in-place hiring freeze and
the $755,000 it has over and above its required reserves – will
help the district offset $1.2 million in spending cuts this
year.
GILROY – Department heads and administrators at Gilroy Unified School District are trimming up to 11 percent of their annual spending budgets to brace for impending cuts coming down from the state.
Superintendent Edwin Diaz says the move – along with the district’s already-in-place hiring freeze and the $755,000 it has over and above its required reserves – will help the district offset $1.2 million in spending cuts this year.
The reduction plan does not include laying off teachers or short-stocking classroom materials and supplies, Diaz said.
“I know people are worried about layoffs, and it’s a challenge right now to keep everyone focused when you’re in a situation like this,” Diaz said. “Layoffs are not part of the plan.”
Restricting capital expenses – such as new equipment purchases – is part of the 11-percent reduction plan, Diaz said.
The district is likely to delete vacant positions frozen several weeks ago in response to the state’s $35 billion budget crisis. It will also stop paying certain travel expenses and purchasing food and beverages for district meetings and events.
There are currently three open positions listed by the district on a job-finder Web site. The openings are for a bilingual teacher, a speech therapist and a school nurse.
Diaz made the announcements Tuesday night at a monthly meeting of the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council. He will present more itemized details to school board trustees at a special session Thursday night.
“It’s not like we won’t have new books, but someone may want to take a field trip and I have to tell them ‘sorry, I can’t help you with that,'” Gilroy High Principal Bob Bravo said. “We’re just spending real conservatively right now. We shouldn’t have too much of a problem reaching the 11 percent.”
On a district-wide level, the job is not finished. It still must find ways to cut an estimated $625,000 from the part of this year’s budget restricted by the state for particular purposes. Programs such as transportation and special education often fall under this category.
“We’re still evaluating where to make cuts in the categorical programs,” Diaz said. “It’s taking us a little longer because the state still hasn’t decided how much it’s going to cut.”
The state legislature is expected to have its midyear reduction plan set by Friday. Lawmakers are likely to tweak the governor’s proposal, which the GUSD has used as the basis for its cuts.
“It’s complicated because some of these programs we’ve already started to fund. That’s how crazy this budget process can be,” Diaz said.
Patty Marfia, an El Roble School parent, said she was relieved to know that staff would not be laid off.
“Teacher morale is becoming an issue due to the budget uncertainty,” Marfia said Tuesday night.
After hearing the district report, Marfia expressed relief.
“This kind of takes the heat off at least for now. I’d hate to see us lose good teachers,” Marfia said.
District officials are also stressing that the proposed cuts do not impact school construction and improvement projects funded with bond money – like the $69 million voters approved in the Nov. 5 election under Measure I.
The state budget crisis does not end with midyear cuts. A similar amount of trimming is anticipated for next year, too.
“This phase of the crisis (the midyear cuts) is much easier than the next step, which is to look at what programs have to go,” said Trustee Bob Kraemer, who attended Tuesday’s session. “Do we need to cut transportation? Do we start charging for it? Do we limit bussing to a smaller radius? These are the types of questions we have to deal with next.”
Kraemer says the state budget crunch puts the district in a position similar to one it faced more than three years ago.
“The district’s budget was a little fat back then. We had, essentially, too many programs and we had to start cutting,” Kraemer said. “The good news is we’ve managed this before and it’s looking like we won’t have to cut into people’s jobs very much.”
Although layoffs won’t happen this school year, district officials made no promises for 2003-04, especially for positions within the categorical programs. The district is required to give layoff notices to teachers by March 15.
Thursday’s budget study session takes place at 7:30 p.m. in the district office, 7810 Arroyo Circle. The public is encouraged to attend.
The district plans to finalize its midyear cuts after Friday, or whenever the legislature approves the budget bill.
Planning for the 2003-04 budget begins immediately after the midyear crisis is resolved.
GUSD Budget Solutions
Governor’s General Fund Budget Cuts 2002-03
State cut: 2.15 percent Revenue Limit Funding.
What it means for GUSD: $890,000 of cuts in general operational spending.
State cut: 10.82 percent in class-size reduction program.
What it means for GUSD: $315,000 less to support kindergarten through third-grade class-size reduction program.
State cut: 3.66 to 10.82 percent in categorical funding.
What it means for GUSD: $625,000 of cuts across more than 60 programs.
Total impact: $1.83 million for 2002-03.
Source: GUSD
