The San Benito High School District last week swore in incumbent trustees Bill Tiffany and Steve DeLay along with challenger Juan Robledo before discussing the health of the budget, the migrant education program and classified employee layoffs.
First interim budget report
Trustees unanimously approved the first interim budget report with a “positive certification,” meaning the district is expected to meet its financial commitments for this school year and two future ones.
The budget included about a 5 percent reserve, nearly 2 percent above the state-mandated minimum, according to Roseanne Lascano, the director of finance and operations. This year, of the $28,450,263 in general fund money, the largest amount went to certificated salaries that took 38.57 percent of the budget. This was followed closely by 23.57 percent for employee benefits and 15.82 percent for classified salaries. Books and supplies took up just 6.21 percent of the budget. The district is deficit spending by $228,952, but this is a planned deficit as there are “ample reserves” to cover it, according to the first interim financial report.
Decreasing classified employees
Trustees voted 4-1 to lay off three full-time classified employees effective spring semester of this school year due to “a lack of work or lack of funds.”
Robledo cast the lone dissenting vote. Trisha Cooper, the administrative assistant for the superintendent who takes notes at each meeting paraphrased Robledo’s concerns as: “You’re dealing with staff, which are human beings. Some of the changes he doesn’t think will take place without people losing their jobs.”
The cut positions will include two full-time attendance clerks and a guidance technician, according to a report in the agenda packet. The changes are part of a “deep restructuring of the student services department,” which could mean some of the noticed personnel are moved to other positions in the district, said Superintendent John Perales. The district will also hire two counselors as part of the transition, he said.
Migrant education report
Staff officials presented a report to the board about the Migrant Education Program, which provides supplemental funds for education programs for migrant children.
The number of migrant students enrolled at San Benito High School is significantly higher than in neighboring school districts with 459 students enrolled at the school in 2014-15 compared with 53 students enrolled at nearby Gilroy High and 40 students at Ann Sobrato in Morgan Hill.
This school year, the program has a budget of $552,455 to serve local students at San Benito High School or “out of school youth.” Program participants must be younger than 22 years old; have not graduated high school; are migrant workers or have spouses or parents who are migrant workers; and have moved from one district to another due to economic necessity.
The graduation rate of program participants at San Benito High School was 95 percent last year, compared to 97.7 percent for peers not participating in the program.
The program designs activities and services to meet some or all of seven areas: school readiness, English/language arts, math, high school graduation, out of school youth, health and parent involvement.
