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GUHSD deals with deeper
cuts to education funding
By Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
EL CAJON — Amid constant economic woes,
the Grossmont Union High School District has received yet
another blow to its budget crisis.
In June, GUHSD adopted a balanced budget in which they
were forced to consume a $23 million deficit handed down by the
State budget that cut education in what they felt at the time
was extreme. However, in July, they found that they would have
to do some more trimming as the State revised their spending
plan, opting to cut even further into educational spending.
GUHSD’s Deputy Superintendent, Scott Patterson
addressed the board on Aug. 26, during a special board meeting
that was stated as a financial workshop.
“Even though we are in the worst economic budget crisis
that we’ll ever see in our careers, the program on the
instructional side is not stopping.” Patterson said as he opened
his discussion to the board.
He also said that even though they adopted a balanced
budget in June, they knew they would be back after the State
revised their budget, further cutting education.
“We are doing everything we can to save ‘people’ jobs,”
he said, and explained that “people” jobs are those positions
that currently employ people.
He went on to say, “In today’s economy it’s best for
the family, and for the economy to keep those people employed
where we can, but that doesn’t mean that when a position goes
vacant we don’t “scoop” them to help with the budget savings,
but again, the theme is consistent to save jobs.”
He further explained that the district was willing to
change a position by changing the job description or pay scale,
when a position became open to help save.
Patterson explained that the district is currently
using a considerable amount of one-time dollars, which is to say
that money that is only funded once to the district is being
used to cover the costs of running the district.
This means that those “one-time” dollars will not be
replaced next year to cover the same costs that they are
covering this year. Patterson said that as the district is
weaned from these one-time dollars, the district must solve the
budget structural gap.
“The quicker we can get our revenues and costs in
alignment,” Patterson said, “the quicker we can get ourselves in
a position that when the money comes back, and it will, we can
improve programs, we can adequately compensate people, and we
can restore those things that we’ve had to cut as we’ve had to
tighten our belts.”
He also said that the worst thing that can happen is
that when new money comes in, the district has to replace the
one-time monies that went away. He said that people don’t
understand this. He repeated that the quicker the district can
get to the point of getting structural equality, the better the
district is going to be.
In February of this year, the State adopted a seventeen
month budget through June 30, 2010. This budget introduced the
first twenty-three million dollar deficit that the district
consumed into their own budget and by creating furloughs,
cutting class sizes and every other thing they could do to make
things work, created their own balanced budget.
Now, the State has handed down their revised plan
creating a thirty million dollar deficit for the district over
the next two years. By December, the district will have to
submit a revised rebalanced 2009-10 budget at First Interim, and
then by June 2009, they have to adopt a balanced budget for
2010-11.
Patterson offered several options that could lead to
solutions regarding these money problems. He has two sets of
options that he has named Level One options, options that the
district will take which will include using one-time funds as
mentioned before, reclaiming millions in program funding that
was unavailable before, not filling positions as they become
open, and taking life insurance refunds, among other small
steps. But, even after all the Level One solutions, shortfalls
still remain.
Patterson’s Level Two Solution Plan will have to be
presented to the district for negotiation. These options include
eliminating the 9th grade Class Reduction Size Program, reducing
tutorial programs, eliminating or reducing summer school, and
reducing the actual school year by five days.
Another option is to look at the health care plans.
There is a consideration to raise the co-pays for the recipients
of the benefits on these plans, which could save the district an
enormous amount.
In addition, Patterson mentioned eliminating Department Chair
stipends, and adding more furlough days, all of which must be
negotiated.
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