Following passage of an operating budget for the upcoming school year and a rescission of several staff layoffs, school district leaders are still anticipating the possibility of further cutbacks from the state mid-year.
By Paul Sisolak / Special to The Malibu Times
Confident with their approval on June 30 of a $114.9 million operating fund for the 2011-2012 school year, and reversing a set of staffing cuts at local schools, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District administrators still face an uncertain future this year as losses from Sacramento loom ahead.
It places local schools in a precarious situation this coming semester, according to some district officials, because they can’t predict the degree of state funding the SMMUSD may lose.
“We’re supposed to hire everybody and start the school year in August, and wait for the [state] budget in January,” Phil Cott, principal of Webster Elementary School, said. “Our school board is doing these things with those uncertainties in mind. It’s very unfair to local government.”
In March, the SMMUSD Board of Education originally approved layoffs of six teaching positions and five nursing positions. Those cuts were later rescinded. However, if Gov. Brown mandates a reduction in state funding for local public schools, it could mean that teachers and staff in Santa Monica and Malibu may once again face being cut, but not until the 2012-2013 school year. Because this year’s proposal of 11 layoffs was revoked, those employees remain protected from losing their jobs this year if surprise state reductions are handed down.
Though layoffs won’t happen this year, Cott’s consternation is based, in part, on large increases in student-teacher ratios that are hard to overcome even with current staffing in place. Cott said Webster Elementary ratios last year were roughly 23 students to one teacher in kindergarten classes, and 25-1 in 1st through 3rd grades. This year he expects at least a 25-1 ratio in each of those classes, with up to 30 or even 33 students to one instructor in upper grades.
The school has also lost one teacher who had the least seniority on staff and was reassigned to another school in Santa Monica.
“Those were all done through attrition but not through layoffs,” said Jan Maez, SMMUSD’s chief financial officer.
“It increases the burden on each teacher. Of course, our expectations are never lowered,” Cott said. “Everyone has to work harder with more responsibilities and accomplish the same under more challenging circumstances.”
One math teacher at Malibu High School was allowed to keep their job, Principal Mark Kelly said, noting that the move to rescind layoffs for 2011-2012 is a sign that officials are working with what they can.
“It continues to be very challenging,” Kelly said. “I think it’s a vote of confidence in people. The district is doing as good of a job of keeping things afloat as they can.”
While staffing/student levels remain stable and manageable for the time being, the district’s budget may not be, in light of possible budget changes in Sacramento. Sandra Lyon, SMMUSD’s new superintendent, says administrators are obligated to take on a “watch and wait” approach to compensate for possible fiscal losses from the state level.
“We’re just going to be watching it,” she said. “At this point, we don’t know what those state revenues are going to look like.”
Guesswork went into devising the 2011-2012 budget, as well. Maez, the district’s chief financial officer, mentioned it was devised before the state budget had been approved. Debra Moore Washington, SMMUSD’s assistant superintendent for human resources, also said the board has limitations on what it can project financially for the upcoming school year.
“The board has looked at the uncertainty in the budget and we realized we don’t exactly know what our budget is going to look like going forward,” she said.
SMMUSD board member Nimish Patel echoed Superintendent Lyon’s concerns but said he felt confident the district can operate with current financing in place. He said that he was happy with the final budget green-lighted by the board.
“We have enough reserves,” Patel said. “As we go through the school year, we’re going to constantly monitor what’s happening with Sacramento and make a determination.”
The SMMUSD Board of Education’s next meeting will take place July 20 at the district’s offices, 1651 16th St., Santa Monica.