Spending on arts and music, and gifted and talented programs, among others, may be reallocated to cover necessary expenses. Also, the board of education approves funding for the traffic and safety plan at Malibu High.
By Nora Fleming /Special to The Malibu Times
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education last week at its budget workshop proposed budget cuts of $4 million, but that might not be enough, officials say.
Also at its board meeting Thursday, board members agreed to move forward with allocating several million dollars for a new and improved traffic and safety plan as part of the Measure BB bond backed improvements project at the Malibu Middle and High School campus. No final decision was made on the school’s athletic field lighting, though the board supported moving forward with the legal means to allow both temporary and permanent lights at the school.
District struggles with budget
The district last week presented the board with more concrete budget numbers including specifics for suggested reductions for next year’s budget, given the current economic crisis. But, district officials said, the reductions may not be enough of a remediation to stop SMMUSD from going into deficit spending by 2010.
Now, even with the early suggestions of cutting $4 million from the 2009-2010 budget and an additional ongoing cut of at least $1.75 million starting in 2010-2011, the district will still be short $3.4 million per year the next two years in a best case scenario.
The numbers presented were based on the adopted state budget from February, which is now said to be $8 billion out of balance and stands to reach $20 billion if all measures on the May 19 special election ballot do not pass. This could mean an additional $6 million in required cuts for the district’s 2009-2010 budget and $600 less per student.
The decision by the state this year to allow flexibility for California school districts in spending annual state categorical funding now enables the district to “sweep” balances from unused categorical funds into the general fund, which currently total $1 million from last year. They also now have freedom to reallocate $3.2 million in funding for Tier 3 categorical programs, which include arts and music, and gifted and talented programs, among others, to other necessary expenses.
Already on the table for additional reductions next year are contracts in district office departments, a reduction in district office administration, increasing K-3 classes by three students per class and by one student per staff member in grades 6-12 districtwide, reorganizing the structure at Santa Monica High School and “realigning” the special education budget. These reductions, in addition to a suggested $1 million cut in Tier 3 categorical programs, total close to $4 million.
The district has also suggested the board consider furloughs, salary reductions, supply reductions and changes in employee health-benefit plans, as well as increasing class sizes to 25-1. These possible further reductions would require negotiations with additional entities such as the teacher’s union.
“I just want to make sure we cut enough now, even if it hurts and causes us pain,” said board member Kelly Pye, who said she supported looking for further reductions. “It could save us in the long run.”
The proposed one-time federal stimulus money has not yet been factored into the projections.
Parking/Traffic/Safety
The total for the Malibu High and Middle schools’ new parking, and traffic and safety plan, the result of multiple meetings and revisions, now comes to an additional $2.5 million, some of which is being placed in reserve for a potential grant match and a future project at the Juan Cabrillo Elementary School. This money will come out of the $268 million bond reserves for unforeseen costs at school construction sites.
Originally allocated at $1.3 million, the plan at the middle and high school campus now totals an extra $1.5 million for onsite improvements and an unforeseen upgrade to the water supply system, which is necessary in order to apply for a coastal development permit for the project. An expanded parking lot, a relocation of the equestrian trail, a temporary roundabout and a reconfiguration of the north parking lot are included in this amount.
Additionally, the plan includes offsite additions such as a roundabout, right turn lane and raised delineators on Morning View Drive and improvements at the Morning View Drive and Pacific Coast Highway intersection. Because these improvements are off campus, they are under purview of the City of Malibu, and the district is hoping to work with the city to get the project at least partially funded by Caltrans’ Safe Routes to School grant program, for which the city would need to apply.
Though there was a bit of deliberation by the board, members agreed to allocate $1.5 million for the onsite improvements, and place $586,482, which is 30 percent of the total cost of the offsite improvements into reserve to be matched by state grants or the city. Another $400,000 was also placed in reserve for additions to the Juan Cabrillo campus, which are contingent on the completion of offsite improvements.
Athletic lights
The use of athletic field lighting at Malibu High School has been a continuing source of conflict between the school’s parents and its neighbors during the past several months.
While a proposed plan for permanent lights was predicted for board presentation last Thursday, the board only received an update from the district on discussions with a recently created nine-member ad-hoc committee whose purpose is to further negotiate a potential proposal.
Any plan for permanent lights would, due to the existing coastal development permit that prohibits athletic lighting, require an application for an amendment from the California Coastal Commission.
At its Feb. 5 meeting, the board voted in favor of preparing an application for an amendment for 16 nights of temporary lighting for next football season. A Mitigated Negative Declaration was recently released to coincide with the application, and would require approval from the board for official submission to the coastal commission, which is expected before the end of the school year. The public review period for the project is May 8 through June 10. Copies of the MND are available at the Malibu Public Library, Malibu High School, as well as district headquarters. Comments on the proposed project must be submitted by June 10 and can be emailed to jan.maez@smmusd.org.