School district facing budget deficits-pushes parcel tax. Citing the governor’s signing of the state budget, the superintendent refuses earned bonus.
By Carolanne Sudderth/Ocean Park Gazette
A new school bond measure, which will face voters in November, is designed to offset mounting Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District budget deficits. This year alone, SMMUSD estimates it will be $2.9 million short, and that “hole” is projected to increase exponentially over the next several years with no relief in sight.
On Sept. 11, the Malibu Democratic Club presented a public forum for school board and College Board of Trustees candidates and SMMUSD Superintendent John Deasy spoke about measure EE, the proposed new parcel tax (see next week’s issue for the full story).
Next month, the school district will conduct a pair of meetings at which Deasy will further educate the public about measure EE.
The measure is expected to supplement depleted school finances by some $9.6 million per year by upping property taxes a flat $300 per parcel in Santa Monica and Malibu. The new amount comes on top of the $98 per parcel residents are already paying for Prop X.
According to a press release, Deasy will address issues of what programs will be continued and/or enhanced by this additional funding and how accountability will be managed.
The first meeting will take place at McKinley Elementary School, 2401 Santa Monica Blvd., Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. The second meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 16 at Malibu High School, 30215 Morningview Drive. Further information is available at 450.8338.
Super declines bonus
Acknowledging a “difficult budget process, which resulted in laid-off employees and reductions across the board,” Deasy declined the $9,375 bonus due him as part of his contract at the Sept. 5 school board district meeting.
“The governor signed a budget today with a number of blue line items,” he said. “Given that, I would like not to accept the bonus for this year.”
Resident Chuck Allord thanked him for not taking the money and “not making me fight with you.”
“It seems to some of us that money is being thrown at the superintendent every couple of months for one reason or another. Thanks for not taking the money.”
School Board President Julia Brownley added, “I think the board respectfully agrees with your decision, but I think we want to make it clear to the public that we feel it was duly earned.”
Not unlike a child getting $1 per every “A,” Deasy earns his bonus based on his completion of a subset of goals in each of four departments. Completion of less than one-third of subset targets in any area will be considered “minimal achievement” for which he receives no bonus. The term, “partial achievement” (one- to two-thirds of the subset goals) has been re-dubbed “substantial achievement.”
Each of these marks earns him 1.5 percent worth of bonus. For each mark of “completely achieved,” he gets 2.5 percent.
No such thing as a free packet-
anymore
In a further effort to cut costs, the Board of Education will no longer be offering free hard copies of its agenda to the public. Instead, the district will enhance its online facilities. Agendas will be available as .pdf files the Friday prior to its Thursday meetings.
For those who do not have access to the Internet, copies of the full agenda will be made available via subscription. Copies of the full agenda will be mailed out at a cost of $5 per meeting. Subscription requests must be made in writing and are payable in advance.
“Production costs are $10,000 annually, and we’ve seen a 9 percent increase in postage as well,” Deasy said.