School District Board to consider $26 million in cuts tonight

The cuts are part of $33 million in reductions the district must approve by Oct. 15, in order to have a balanced budget over the next three years.

Recent cuts last school year have controversially included three school closures which parents say have caused major disruption to the lives of displaced students, who must travel farther and deal with new learning environments this year.

Budget advisory committee members contributing to Superintendent Wayne Joseph's recommendations, say efforts have been made to keep cuts away from the classroom. Still the recommendations have raised concern in the community, with suggestions that include increasing student teacher ratios in K-3 grade class by five more students for a three-year savings amounting to about $5.4 million dollars.

Parents and teachers say increasing class sizes puts an added burden on teachers of young children, and decreases much needed one-on-one time for teachers and students.

"I don't think any educator, if he or she had his choice, would want to see more students in any classroom," Joseph said on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, our budget situation, is such that we have to look at items that we wouldn't normally look at in times of plenty."

Boardmember Michael Calta, along with some district parents, said he remains skeptical of the possible savings from the class size increases and will ask district staff to present other alternatives tonight.

Among other major savings measures are the consideration of a 4.53 percent rollback in pay for administrators - amounting to a possible savings of about $1.6 million over three years.

Also included in budget cut recommendations:

- Keeping existing textbooks from previous school years, at a savings of about $5.1 million over three years.

- The elimination of the international baccalaureate (IB) program accreditation process ongoing for the past several years at Ramona Junior High School, and Briggs Elementary School. The potential loss of the IB programs at these schools would save the district about $280,000.

- The elimination after this school year of 11 intervention counselors charged with finding at-risk students and helping them with academics. This would save the district about $1.8 million.