Aromas-San Juan board of trustees to consider $18.3 million
bond
A local school district’s board of trustees heard from the state Wednesday about combating its projected deficit and in three weeks will consider floating an $18.3 million bond for facility improvements.
The Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Board of Trustees met Wednesday night in Aromas, with about two dozen residents and district employees in attendance.
Representatives from the county’s office of education and a state fiscal adviser told the board that the district will be short $600,000 in June on current spending pace.
Sheila Vickers, a state fiscal adviser, told the board getting out of that hole and avoiding shortfalls in the future will take time.
“You didn’t get into this situation in one year,” Vickers said. “It took several years and it’s going to take several to get out.”
Vickers said the board can cut spending and gain revenue with in many ways such as benefit caps for district employees, bus transportation fees for students and loans from local sources. She reminded the board that the more it cuts now, the larger the effect will be in the future.
A Fiscal Crisis Management and Assessment team already has been sorting through the district’s financial records to look for possible solutions.
The team’s report should be available by the end of February, said Ron Wheelehan, assistant superintendent of business and technology services county office of education. That report will have analysis of seven years of fiscal data, Wheeler said.
Superintendent Tim Foley said one-third of school districts in California are in a similar deficit situation.
And while a budget deficit looms for the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, the board of trustees will consider at a special meeting floating the $18.3 million bond for voter consideration in June.
Board members asked Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Superintendent Jackie Muñoz which of the proposed projects are considered essential.
Muñoz said all of the recommended improvements – including permanent classrooms at Aromas School, a multi-purpose room and upgraded kitchen facilities – are essential.
“I am kind of at a loss here,” Muñoz said. “I have talked to staff, I have talked to parents, I have talked to students. It’s not like this has been done in isolation.”
Trustee Jeff Hancock questioned the timing of a bond when a half-cent sales tax will go into effect at the same time for the City of San Juan Bautista.
Hancock said the bond should be just for the bare essentials, such as replacing the leaking portables at Aromas School with permanent classrooms.
“I don’t know if this bond will pass no matter what is on there,” Hancock said.
The district board of trustees will meet again Feb. 27.
Quick facts:
$600,000 projected spending deficit
March 5 meeting to review fiscal report
$18.3 million bond for district improvements
Feb. 27 meeting to vote
on bond
