News
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Santa Barbara School Districts Cut $4 Million from 2008-09 Budget
At the April 22, 2008, meeting of the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education, the board reviewed and voted on a $4,723,036 list of cost reductions and revenue enhancements for fiscal year 2008-09. The board considered other items for potential savings as well that were not on the list. From that list, the board adopted a $4,074,251 fiscal recovery plan in accordance with the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s requirements to provide the county office with a list of expenditure reductions in order to sustain the Santa Barbara School Districts’ solvency.
Among the largest items included in the list of $4,074,251 in cuts adopted by the board were elimination of 2.85 administrative positions ($360,000 savings), elimination of ninth-grade class size reduction in math ($285,500 savings), move San Marcos High School toward staffing parity with other high schools ($320,000 savings), elimination of four site-based program specialists and replaced with clerical positions ($298,530 savings), and provision of a certificated retirement incentive ($345,744). The board-adopted list of cost reductions and revenue enhancements for 2008-09 is presented below.
Additional cost reductions may still be required as two cuts were temporarily removed from the list: reduction of an additional three school psychologists and replacement of retiring certificated librarians with media technicians. Those cuts are contingent on the still-to-be-determined outcome of San Marcos High School’s staff vote on moving toward staffing parity with the districts’ other two comprehensive high schools. Moving toward staffing parity at San Marcos High School would result in a budget savings of $320,000.
District administration continues to work collaboratively with the Santa Barbara Teachers Association and California School Employees Association (Chapter 37) representatives in reaching the required level of cost reductions.
The next budget report to the board will be presented at the May 27, 2008, board meeting.
BOARD APPROVED COST REDUCTIONS AND REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS |
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| Description | Savings | |
| A | Charge restricted funds their proportional share of pay-as-you-go cost for retiree health benefits | $338,788 |
| B | Adjust workers compensation rate to reflect experience modification factor and to reflect rate decrease for fiscal year 2008-09 | $367,261 |
| C | Universal breakfast | $200,000 |
| D | Charge RRMA account indirect costs | $175,000 |
| E | Change insurance carriers for property and liability insurance and recognize rate reduction for fiscal year 2008-09 | $145,213 |
| F | Make portion of secondary deferred maintenance transfer with Isla Vista and Goleta redevelopment project area revenue | $75,511 |
| G | Eliminate broker of record for workers compensation insurance | $60,000 |
| H | Charge three percent administrative fee to capital facilities fund | $34,833 |
| I | Increase price on paid meals for school lunch | $31,747 |
| J | Enforce board policy on MTD student bus passes | $25,000 |
| K | Implement various energy efficiency measures | $25,000 |
| L | Eliminate 2.85 administrative FTEs | $360,000 |
| M | Impose ten percent reduction in all district office discretionary budgets | $160,000 |
| N | Reduce elementary administrative positions at smaller elementary schools | $51,000 |
| O | Provide district letterhead and numerous forms in electronic format rather than hard copy | $4,000 |
| P | Eliminate ninth-grade class size reduction in math | $285,500 |
| Q | Reduce the number of instructional assistants, especially in special education | $433,874 |
| R | Reduce school psychologists from 18 to 16 FTEs | $170,000 |
| S | Move toward staffing all comprehensive high schools at parity (San Marcos High) | $320,000 |
| T | Provide certificated retirement incentive | $345,744 |
| U | Eliminate four site-based program specialists and replace with clerical positions | $298,530 |
| V | Reduce classified support staff proportional to enrollment decline | $46,435 |
| W | Pro-rate elementary district health assistants according to school size | $40,715 |
| X | Staff all junior high schools at parity | $46,800 |
| Y | Eliminate the expense of Oral-J testing including associated cost for use of substitutes | $27,000 |
| Z | Require students to make up every absence with Saturday School | $6,300 |
TOTAL |
$4,074,251 |
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