As public education is ravaged in California by slumping
budgets, the Morgan Hill Unified School District is all too
familiar with having to reduce its own expenditures – for the
2011-2012 school year, MHUSD anticipates a $6 million deficit.
As public education is ravaged in California by slumping budgets, the Morgan Hill Unified School District is all too familiar with having to reduce its own expenditures – for the 2011-2012 school year, MHUSD anticipates a $6 million deficit.
The district, however, points to the fact that they have a perfect record for balancing their budget and have not once needed to borrow funds from the county or state, or use money from their $2.2 million in reserves. The district was asked by the Santa Clara County Office of Education to outline the potential shortfall with a more detailed list of where cuts could be made because of the state of the economy, although they should be read as “extremely preliminary” and not the future of MHUSD, said school board President Bart Fisher.
Since 2008, the district has reduced spending by $11.9 million with layoffs of teachers and staff, eliminating summer school and increasing class sizes from 20 students to one teacher to 24 to one. Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini has said at past school board meetings that 2011-2012 will be the hardest year for MHUSD.
A list of 14 items were identified by the school district as strategies to match the deficit if by 2011 that number is near the anticipated $6 million. The most savings would come from increasing class sizes to 30 students to one teacher, shortening the school year by five days and reductions of positions or hours at the administrative, classified and contracted service levels.
“Morgan Hill has positioned itself financially to be as good if not better, than any other district around. Even though we’ll have to make some cuts, I feel that our district, even though it will be devastating, we’ll still be in better shape,” MHUSD Trustee Mike Hickey said.
School districts around the state are becoming old pros at whittling their budgets. MHUSD had to deal with a $9 million deficit between 2007 and 2009, and another $2.9 million was cut that affects the upcoming school year. The district maintains that it has a proven track record of solving its budget woes and will be able to do the same for however much the deficit is in 2011-2012, said Superintendent Dr. Wes Smith.
“It’s a positive situation that we have areas to look into; that we have resources to meet those reductions,” Smith said. “Although none of us want to, we’re very fortunate to that degree.”
One possibility – reducing the school year by five days – would need to be negotiated among the Federation of Teachers since it would reduce their salaries.
San Jose Unified School District approved a shorter school year to begin in 2010-2011.
Teachers at SJUSD are taking a 2.5 percent pay cut for next school year, which translates into five fewer school days; it’s uncertain at what percent it could be for MHUSD. SJUSD’s $35 million shortfall ballooned class sizes from 20 students to one teacher to 30 to one this year.
In Gilroy, teachers and the teacher’s union discussions were in gridlock on how to handle its $6.3 million deficit; the union and district want to reduce the number of teachers to increase class sizes, while teachers countered with a taking four furlough days or about a 2 percent pay cut to avoid any layoffs and keep classes more manageable. Gilroy Unified School District is proposing an increase in kindergarten through third grade classes to 28 children and up to 34 students in fourth through eighth grades.
“We’re always concerned that we don’t destroy the classroom, so keeping lower class sizes, support for good programs like art and music. That will be our guiding light,” MHUSD Trustee Julia Hover-Smoot said. “The students are our No. 1 focus, through thick and thin, even if it’s very thin.”
Smith and board members point to the fact that MHUSD’s cuts do not travel as deep as other districts: Class sizes remain reasonable and under the 30 to one size that all schools in San Jose have recently gone to. He assures that the proposed gap will in no way affect next school year.
The district and school board will examine the 2011-2012 budget more closely in November and go through all possibilities to limit spending and retain their reputation of doing so without using reserve funds.
“This will be a good opportunity for us and the administration to get the board’s pulse around where we feel more comfortable and where we have more questions,” Fisher said. “When we really start talking about it,” Fisher said he expects “a really rich discussion.”
The board meets at 6 p.m. today at the district office, 15600 Concord Circle.
