From the Desk of the Superintendent
Superintendent J. Brian Sarvis, Ed.D.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Balancing the Budget in the Santa Barbara School Districts
Santa Barbara School Districts has cut more than $5 million from its $125 million general fund annual operating budget for 2007-08. Making budget cuts is not new to our district. Student enrollment has been declining for a number of years and we have been paring the budget accordingly. We understand the community’s concern about the state of public school finances and are working hard to prepare a 2007-08 budget that provides safe campuses, a high quality of education for our children, fair compensation for our employees, and well-maintained facilities.
What do the budget cuts mean to the district? In addition to class size increases that resulted in a reduction of over 40 temporary teaching positions, a list of $2.5 million in budget reductions adopted in April can be found on the districts’ web site: www.sbsdk12.org/reductions
The budget cuts include moving class sizes up by 1-3 students but also impose caps on most class sizes. High school classes, for example, will have no more than 35 students. Classes in grades K-3 will still have just 20 students. Some cuts are in program costs or shifts to funding sources outside of the general fund. In order to keep budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible, we have further reduced the number of administrators, leaving us well below the state average for a district our size. Most cuts were to programs that avoided cutting talented teaching staff, although after paring the budget for years it is difficult to find reductions that avoid cutting staff. We are pleased that we have already been able to rescind layoff notices for all but 11 of our probationary and permanent teachers.
The cuts allow us to pay our 1,600 employees at higher levels, which we feel is important to retaining high-quality staff. For example, we just settled a three-year contract with teachers and other certificated employees that will move our beginning teachers to a salary of $44,000 a year and boost our 23-year veterans to almost $80,000 by July 2008. Built into the contract for teachers are automatic step-and-column salary increases for each of the first ten years of experience, automatic salary increases for more education, automatic salary increases for longevity, stipends for advanced educational degrees, $6,600 per year in health and welfare benefits, plus more than 11 percent in statutory benefits, such as retirement, Medicare, and workers compensation.
Conversely what do the budget cuts NOT mean to the district?
The budget cuts were spread across a number of areas with only a few programs cut entirely. The small reduction in GATE program support will not affect the number of GATE classes in the district. Our secondary schools will continue to provide a rich menu of electives in music, foreign language, and the arts. Junior high schools will continue to have elective classes, but fewer extra elective classes with low enrollments. The study of various foreign languages will depend on student demand. Elementary music classes will continue with instruction provided by two instrumental teachers instead of three.
Some have asked why cuts were needed when the state provided school districts new state money this year. The money was used to pay for a three percent salary increase agreed to with our teacher and staff unions the previous year, step-and-column increases (for additional years of experience or additional education), increases in consumables (such as utilities, supplies, and fuel), some of the increase in health insurance, and restoration of the district’s three percent required budget reserve.
The budget cuts are necessary for us to live within our means. We will continue to explore a number of avenues to control costs and maximize revenue. Future discussions will include such issues as maximizing student attendance, ongoing study of possible budget reductions by a district committee, a substantial revenue stream from district properties, crossing the threshold to basic aid funding in the elementary district, evaluating the cost of operating small schools, and potential lease of district facilities.
How can the public help?
State funding covers core programs and many electives. State and federal categorical funding covers instruction for low-achieving students. But the district has long relied on additional local funding for specialized programs and activities. For example, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation provides additional funding for elementary music instruction and could expand the number of students served and build more programs in music with additional community support. Whether your interest is in music, arts, math, science, English, athletics, or other classes or programs, your time and resources can make a difference in the opportunities our schools provide to the children of this community.