Furloughs may help stem budget woes

Loss of federal one-time funds coupled with mid-year and presumed cuts to next year’s state budget means Redwood City Elementary School District officials are considering starting reductions now in hopes of generating larger savings going forward. A five-day shortened schedule would represent $1.3 million to the district, an item being negotiated with employees. About $1 million in additional cuts could go into effect before school lets out for summer. Those loses are just the beginning as the district estimates a need to cut between $4.7 million to $10.6 million through 2011, depending on state and federal funding.

The mood at last night’s school board meeting was not angry, but rather supportive and collaborative.

"This isn’t something unique to Redwood City,” said Superintendent Jan Christiansen. "It’s happening across the state of California. ... In some ways, what the governor has said about protecting education has led people to believe this isn’t a crisis. But we are in a crisis.”

Possible reductions for this year include reducing the work year five days; increasing kindergarten through third grade class sizes to 31; releasing some of the district’s 33 temporary teachers and cutting an accountant, six custodians, a clerical position at Roosevelt, instructional aid time, a transportation dispatcher and library aides.

Christiansen and a number of trustees did not favor increasing class sizes mid-year because of the disruption. Realistically, Christiansen envisioned a proposal with the release of some temporary teachers, five custodians and other positions aside from library aides. She was still gathering data on the impact of losing the library aides.

To get a better idea of the impacts of such cuts, the loss of custodians means each classroom would be cleaned once a week.

"Nobody wants this to happen. Nobody thinks what we’re doing is a good idea. Nobody,” said Trustee Shelly Masur, who added it’s simply the reality.

Redwood City saw its unrestricted budget shrink 17 percent in the past three years, or $7.5 million, said Chief Business Official Raul Parungao. Funding for the district is equal to that of the 2006-07 school year while the district has over 1,000 more children to educate than last year. The bulk of the cuts came last year, when over $10 million in possible cuts were identified and $5.5 million went into effect. Thanks to one-time federal stimulus money, the district avoided cutting $4.7 million for this year. Redwood City estimates it needs to cut $6.6 million, but it could be up to $10.6 million given reductions floated at the federal and state levels. To maintain a 3 percent mandated reserve, Parungao explained the district would need to make changes immediately. Those cuts will not spare the district from further reductions.

If all suggestions listed for this year and next were implemented, the district would fall over $1 million short from its worst-case scenario of a $10.6 million reduction.

This fall, students could not have access to the International Baccalaureate program, various specialists, nurses, music teachers, counselors, outdoor education and the gifted and talented program. Staff could lose development opportunities and work two less days for a total of seven days less, on top of cutting positions. Warehouse employees, child nutrition workers and the Child Development Center are all looking at a 10-month rather than full-year schedule. Orion School could be relocated to a portion of Roosevelt’s campus, allowing the district to rent the vacant school for a $500,000 savings. The last suggestion was not a favorite amongst Orion parents, however Jane Taylor spoke as a representative of the group and promised to make the best of whatever reality emerges.

McKinley Institute of Technology Principal Raymond Dawley simply said it was hard to advocate for one item given the vast number of cuts being proposed. He just hoped the district kept child safety in mind.

Trustee Alisa MacAvoy added many people have asked if the district will attempt again to pass a parcel tax. Redwood City has tried twice in the past five years to pass a parcel tax, with the most recent attempt last spring falling short with 63.6 percent in favor rather than the two-thirds required. MacAvoy said a parcel tax attempt is an option, but it would need massive community support to be viable.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.