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updated on
March 5, 2008.
Santa Barbara School Districts are part of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
News
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Process and Timeline for Budget Reductions
Message from Deputy Superintendent Eric Smith
On January 10, 2008, the governor unveiled his proposed fiscal year 2008-09 budget. Much to the horror of onlookers, the governor’s plan identified a $14.5 billion deficit in the state’s budget and then called for a 10 percent across the board cut to state-funded services, including K-12 education. In addition to a 6.99 percent deficit to the revenue limit, California school districts were subject to a 6.5 percent deficit on most state-funded categorical programs. In totality, the proposed cuts to K-12 education result in most school districts having to operate on 2.4 percent less revenue in fiscal year 2008-09 than what they operated on in fiscal year 2007-08.
In response to the governor’s proposal, the superintendent instituted a spending freeze on all non-essential items and the districts are only filling personnel vacancies on a mission critical basis. Moreover, recognizing that any dollar saved this year will improve our financial outlook next year, the administration has implemented a number of measures in the current year to increase the districts’ ending fund balance.
Exercising their fiscal oversight authority under Assembly Bill 1200, the Santa Barbara County Education Office has informed us of our need to provide them with a proposal for addressing the fiscal condition of the districts (i.e., the Fiscal Recovery Plan) as well as updated financial projections for fiscal year 2008-09 and 2009-10 that reflect the actions of the board to implement the Fiscal Recovery Plan.
With this in mind, staff has developed the following timeline for fiscal year 2008-09 budget reductions:
- public hearing and first reading of Fiscal Recovery Plan (April 8, 2008);
- second and final reading of Fiscal Recovery Plan (April 22, 2008);
- board approval of Third Interim Financial Report and Updated Multi-Year Projections (May 27, 2008).
The board is scheduled to adopt its final budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year on June 24, 2008.