Morgan Hill Unified School District’s Board of Trustees will hear a presentation on parcel tax recommendations and a budget reduction proposal for 2018-19 among its list of discussion items for the Feb. 6 meeting.
School board meetings are held at district headquarters (15600 Concord Circle) with closed session beginning at 4pm and public session getting underway immediately following at about 6pm.
In response to the board’s request for “information regarding the parcel tax poll and community feedback,” Director of Technology Jim Carrillo will provide insight.
“Morgan Hill Unified School District is the lowest funded unified school district in Santa Clara County,” according to the district staff report. “In addition, many of the districts in Santa Clara County have locally approved parcel taxes which generate additional funds to support important programs such as class size reduction, arts, libraries, and technology.”
While the district continues to explore the best parcel tax option as a way to generate additional funds, staff also will introduce their “preliminary budget proposal” for cuts to help alleviate a “structural budget deficit of $5.5 million,” according to the Feb. 6 agenda.
“The Fiscal Services Department projected that expenses would exceed revenues this year, and since this is not a sustainable condition, the Board gave direction to utilize the budget reserve with the expectation that the District would go through a ‘Right Sizing’ process in order to bring next year’s expenses in line with revenues,” the district report states.
The district’s proposal lists $2.4 million in proposed cuts that “if combined with a successful parcel tax measure in the June 2018 election, would close the district’s projected budget deficit,” according to staff.
Proposed layoffs, fee increases and cost reductions to the 2018-19 budget, listed in the attachment to the agenda, come from 19 designated categories. Those include:
• Four less Teachers of Special Assignment;
• Increase in class size to 29:1 for Third Grade;
• 1 less full-time employee at Central HS;
• Reorganization of district office administration;
• Increase in all bus passes by $15 to families;
• Reduce special education contribution.
District staff is requesting only board direction on the proposed cuts and has other scheduled meetings planned prior to bringing an action item before the board for a vote.
“There were no easy solutions and all options considered required difficult decisions,” according to the district report. “Unfortunately a balanced budget without cuts to schools or a reduction of staff is not workable since the vast majority (about 85%) of the District’s budget is spent on personnel.”
Other general business items to be discussed Tuesday are:
• Appointing Superintendent Steve Betando as district representative to Charter School of Morgan Hill Board of Directors;
• Contract openers with Morgan Hill Classified Employees Association;
• Measure G annual report;
• Next Generation Science Standards;
• Homeless Education Program;
• Positive School Climate Initiatives;
• Second interim budget.
