Hollister
– With the proposed state education budget in hand, local
superintendents and school officials are beginning the chore of
preparing each school district’s budget for next year.
Hollister – With the proposed state education budget in hand, local superintendents and school officials are beginning the chore of preparing each school district’s budget for next year.
Gov. Arnold Schwarz-enegger’s plan for education spending for the 2007-08 fiscal year, announced on Jan. 10, includes a 4 percent funding increase due to cost-of-living adjustments. It also calls for continued focus on such problems as teacher shortages, low-performing schools, student preparedness for high school graduation and student health, among others.
San Benito County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley said these are also areas of local focus.
“These priorities are recognized needs,” Foley said. “It’s good to see that these programs are singled out for us to address.”
From that fairly broad list of state priorities, Foley said, it is up to local districts such as the Hollister School District and San Benito High School District to determine which are most pressing for their particular student populations and to direct local spending appropriately.
The governor’s 2007-08 education spending plan provides local schools with a smaller year-over-year revenue increase than this year’s state budget and does not include anything like the extra one-time money that was included in the state’s 2006-07 budget. The one-time money given then is just now being seen by the districts, and will go toward purchasing sports equipment and career technical education supplies.
That means the budget will be tighter next year, Hollister School District Superintendent Ron Crates said.
“The previous year, there was a considerably higher revenue increase in all areas,” he said.
Even so, Crates said, there will be no serious cuts in Hollister’s schools.
“We will not reduce services to children,” Crates said. “There’s not going to be any substantial cuts whatsoever.”
Last year, the Hollister School District received around $30 million from the state for its budget, Crates said. The 2007-08 proposal would bring an additional $1.2 million to the district, he said.
From that, however, the district will not receive around $600,000 due to a decrease in student attendance.
Because of the sewer hookup moratorium, which has essentially halted growth, Hollister School District has consistently lost around 100 students a year, which leads to a decrease in state funding. Schools receive funding based on student attendance.
Jim Koenig, director of finance and operations for San Benito High School District, said the 4 percent increase will provide about $700,000 more than the current budget for SBHS.
Koenig said many people are attributing the modest budget to the fact that last year was an election year.
“Last year we saw a lot of one-time money, but we’re not going to see that kind of budget in 2007-08,” Koenig said.
While local school administrators will begin working on their individual budgets for 2007-08 based on the governor’s proposal, they know the state’s education budget could change in May, when Schwarzenegger will revise his budget based off new revenue estimates.
By law, the local education budgets must be approved by June.
Foley said he is cautiously optimistic about the proposed budget.
“It will not be hard to find ways to place this money,” Foley said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at 637-5566 ext. 336 or at aj**@fr***********.com.
