| Dear Colleagues:
Recently, West Campus High School senior Huyen Kiki Vo was honored by the Association of California School Administrators for the bravery she showed in the face of extreme adversity. Kiki survived a horrific house fire that took her mothers life and left Kiki with burns covering 85 percent of her body. Despite this calamity, Kiki has maintained her focus on academics and retained her humanity she now volunteers her time reaching out to other burn victims and making presentations on fire prevention.
We can learn from Kiki's courage that challenges met with hope and optimism can be mitigated. As a district, we face the great challenge of a $30.6 million budget shortfall for 2010-11. This crisis has triggered dramatic moves, including the reallocation of $15 million from categorical Tier III funds to the general fund to fill this deficit. Despite this, we will still be forced to lay off employees administrators, teachers and classified staff to close the additional $15 million gap. On March 15, in compliance with the states deadline, hundreds of pink slips were mailed to employees. Programs and services identified by staff and the community as vitally important to our ability to educate children including K-3 class size reduction, counseling and the services of psychologists face reduction.
But there is still hope. As many of you know, Teamsters Union Local 150, Service Employees International Union Local 1021, United Professional Educators and the Classified Supervisors Association all have agreed to take three furlough days in the upcoming school year to help our district balance its budget. In addition, all managers at the Serna Center have agreed to take at least three furlough days in 2010-11. We asked these organizations to help us overcome these hurdles barriers created by the states stubborn recession and they joined in.
Already, the district has rescinded 170 lay-off notices. In an effort to rescind more pink slips, the district this week will apply tie-breaker criteria, including a lottery, to teachers who are equal in seniority and other qualifications. With these developments, I am hopeful that we will able to rescind additional lay-off notices this week.
I remain optimistic that more positions and programs can be saved if we work together. Since January, district representatives and the Sacramento City Teachers Association have held five informal meetings to discuss the fiscal crisis and how we can work collaboratively to help the district stave off a financial takeover by the Sacramento County Office of Education or the state. Our district has until June to present the county office with a budget that meets state standards. Failing to do so could take away local control of future budget decisions.
With lay-offs looming and the county deadline approaching, the district has decided to present SCTA on Thursday with a formal proposal to reopen negotiations on contract concessions. It is our goal to conclude these talks with the teachers union as quickly as possible so that our employees and students will have a degree of certainty as to what positions and programs will be continued next fall. Good teachers may be lost to other districts or to other states unless a swift resolution is found. None of us, especially our parent partners, want to see that happen.
Nor do we want to see programs important to our community, teachers and the Board of Education disappear. For this reason, I will be working with staff to see what options are available to restore some of the K-3 class size reductions, high school counselors and adult education programs.
I have also decided against further exploration of Teach for America as a staffing option for the upcoming school year. Since announcing our Superintendents Priority Schools initiative, I have heard from many on our staff who have expressed an interest in working at one of these challenged schools. I greatly appreciate this heartfelt response. Moreover, I have been in conversations with the University of California, Davis, California State University, Sacramento, and Fortune School of Education (formerly Project Pipeline) to find new and creative ways to expand our relationships. While I still believe that the Teach for America program has great merit, I intend to exhaust all local options for meeting staffing needs before looking at alternative programs.
Listed below are budget-reducing ideas generated by the district and the Sacramento City Teachers Association. With a united effort, we can meet our responsibility and our obligation to educate students and move the district toward its potential. As we face these extraordinary times, we can learn a great deal from Kiki's example that we must continue to move forward and persevere regardless of the daunting task and immense challenges before us. DISTRICT'S BUDGET IDEAS Savings
Three furlough days $2.4M
Freeze step and column $2.5M
Eliminate single health refund $310K
$15 co-pay for doctor visits $1.2M
Employee pays the health benefit increase in 2010-11 $3.19M
$50/month contribution towards health benefits $1.085M
Reduce/redesign health benefits for retirees out of area $750K
SCTA'S BUDGET IDEAS Savings
Common planning time (give professional development credit) $1.060M
All extra duty stipends (eliminate) $801K
Reduce increase cost of health benefits (no specifics or commitment offered) Unknown
Close schools (no specifics offered) Unknown
Parcel Tax Unknown
Use site funds to fund K-3 class size reduction Unknown
Eliminate extra prep for athletic directors $75K
Music program lay off traveling teachers, use classroom teachers. $620K |