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Over the next few weeks, there will be many proposals, rumors and information coming out of Sacramento and even from within the district, that may not be accurate. Given how serious the situation is and realizing how important accurate information is, Mary Hart, the Associate Superintendent of Business, and I will be sending out regular communication to all employees on Fridays to update everyone with any new information from the State and any updates from the District. Unfortunately, the political quagmire between the legislative Democrats, Republicans and the Governor continues to create an ever increasing State deficit which is being passed on to districts and schools to resolve.
As of January 9th, the Governor published his 2009 – 2010 budget proposal. Even without the proposal being approved by the Legislature, districts will be required by the County to meet those budget reductions as outlined in the proposal. For PVUSD, it will mean reducing our expenditures by $17 million in order to balance our ’09-’10 budget.
Coming on the heels of an $8 million dollar reduction at the end of the ’07-’08 school year and given the extreme amount of reductions necessary to meet the new budget requirements, all departments district-wide and school sites will be affected by the reductions, which will in turn, affect all district employees. Currently, the District will be reviewing all open positions, hiring subs or not filling positions based on need and potential reductions. All supplies, services and equipment purchases will also be reviewed, only approving critical need and/or obligation.
With the Board facing $17 million dollars of reductions on a budget that is over 80% personnel, we know that the reductions will necessitate the loss of many positions.
At the next Board meeting, on January 28th, the budget will be on the agenda for discussion as the Board gathers information to determine the list of reductions to be made to reach a $17 million dollar budget deficit. Any employees in certificated positions that are identified for possible reduction will have to be notified by March 15th. Employees in classified positions that may be reduced will need to receive a notice 45 days prior to the end of the school year. Budget cuts – staff cuts – translate into reduced services, which in turn adversely impact the quality of education for our students. When the district cuts staff, successful programs are cut along with them. Other critical services that create successful learning environments suffer in this budget crisis as well. It is my sincere hope that as an educational community, we will work together to minimize the impact to all PVUSD employees and conserve as many positions as possible.
Dorma Baker
Superintendent
Mary Hart
Associate Superintendent
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