Hollister
– The San Benito High School District will have to cut $300,000
if administrators want to avoid deficit spending next year, but the
school hopes to weather the financial storm without laying off
employees. They have their work cut out them, however, as the
district will be required to come up with
just under half that amount before the district’s budget hearing
in June.
Hollister – The San Benito High School District will have to cut $300,000 if administrators want to avoid deficit spending next year, but the school hopes to weather the financial storm without laying off employees. They have their work cut out them, however, as the district will be required to come up with just under half that amount before the district’s budget hearing in June.
“We’re doing everything possible to shift things around and avoid actual lay-offs, so we can be as efficient as we can with what we’ve got,” said SBHS Superintendent Jean Burns Slater.
The cuts will come primarily from administrative work days and cutting class offerings that have low enrollment. Already the Board of Trustees voted last week to reduce the work hours of the principal’s secretary, SBHS’ Job Developer and Job Training Coordinator and Migrant Education Instructional Aide, which will save the district nearly $16,500. Traditionally, the principals’ secretary worked one month longer than the principal, and the Migrant Ed. Aide hours have been cut by 45 minutes every day to line up with the six-block student schedule next year.
“The only reason we cut that time is because there won’t be that mandatory seventh period any more next year,” said Slater. “If students are at school we want to give them all the support we can, so this just makes sense.”
The two career-training positions are funded through a state Workability grant, but funding to that program has been cut. In order to make up for that loss, the two jobs have been scaled back from year-long positions to 10 and 11 months.
“We’ve been talking about this for a long time, and we’ve been looking seriously at what our different options are, and this what we came up with,” said Jim Koenig, Director of Finance and Operations.
The only positions being cut are classified positions, or employees who do not have a teaching credential. When the district voted not to issue lay-off notices to two guidance counselors in March, it effectively prevented the district from being able to lay off or reschedule any certificated positions.
Administrators recently compiled a list of other areas that could use some trimming. The principal, assistant principal, human resources director and finance officer positions have all been cut between five and 10 days each annually, for a total of 220 fewer workdays saving of about $15,000 for the district.
“The idea is to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” said Slater.
As classes with low enrollment are dropped, the district expects to save the expense of about one full-time teaching position. Rather than laying somebody off, however, the district plans to let natural attrition take its course as teachers leave and retire at the end of the year.
SBHS is hoping that more students will sign up for Advanced Placement classes next year, college level courses that students can use for post secondary education credits. Currently the high school offers 14 AP courses, but some have only 12 or 15 students each semester, so the high school will be increasing the student teacher ration to 31:1 for some AP sections. More enrollment means it will be more cost effective to offer each class. This should save SBHS around $27,000.
In all, the district has identified more than $158,00 in savings, including $100,000 saved by limiting the number of students taking enrichment classes during summer school. Most of the changes so far are proposals, which must be finalized in time for the district’s public budget hearing, scheduled this year for May 21.
“These weren’t easy decisions,” said Koenig . “Every single item on that list is something we’d all like to see continue the way it is… but we have to adapt to change and be fiscally responsible so we can provide the best education possible for the ‘Balers.”
Koenig also pointed out that the district will have a much better picture of its financial health when administrators are updated to any applicable changes from the Governor’s revised budget and any changes in the district’s insurance rates. Until then, he says it will be impossible to know how many additional cuts must be made to avoid deficit spending.
Elizabeth Martinez, President of the classified employees union, was not available for comment Wednesday.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
ds****@fr***********.com
