Superintendent Bill Fishbough
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented his State Budget proposal this month, including cuts of more than $1.4 billion to public education.Specifically, the Governor is proposing an ongoing cut to “administrative” or “non-instructional” funds of $1.2 billion as well as a negative Cost of Living Adjustment of -.38 percent, which equals another $202 million in school funding cuts.
For the Hanford Join Union High School District, this will mean a cut of about $1 million in funding.
In addition, the 2010-2011 proposed budget includes an ongoing cut from the 2009-2010 school year that equals another $1.5 million in cuts for HJUHSD.
That’s a total of $2.5 million in funding cuts for our school district for 2010-2011.
We know that some of the Governor’s proposed figures will change between now and the time the legislature actually adopts a State Budget for 2010-2011. But, given the current economic climate, it’s unlikely that the school funding situation will improve.
Another factor that could affect HJUHSD spending this year is the possibility of declining enrollment.
Because schools are funded in part based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) of students, more students equals more dollars from the State. This year, for the first time, HJUHSD is projecting a possible decrease in student enrollment – which would, in turn, lead to a decrease in State funding.
Last year, HJUHSD budgeted to spend about $30 million in General Fund money. A cut of more than $2.5 million is a cut of about 8% of our spending compared to the current year.
It will be a huge challenge to cut that much, especially when you consider the fact that approximately 80% of our budget is spent on salaries and benefits. It’s just not possible to cut that much and not “feel” it in our day-to-day operations.
I am working closely with our school administrators to identify changes that can be made to balance our budget. We will present a list of potential budget reductions to the Board of Trustees in February.
As we examine all of our programs and expenses, I would appreciate the input of our staff, students, parents and other partners.
If you have a specific idea or suggestion or question regarding 2010-1011 budget planning, please take a moment to fill out the Budget Feedback Form to share your opinion.
As the news from Sacramento and about our local plan develops, I will work to keep you all updated on changes and decisions.
Despite the difficult decisions and changes ahead, I want to assure you that our District goals remain unchanged. Our top priority, always, is the academic success of our students. While these budget cuts will no doubt create new challenges, our focus will not falter.
Governor's January Budget Proposal and Impact on HJUHSD
On Jan. 8, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled his spending plan for 2010-2011. Under the plan HJUHSD would lose $2.5 million in state funding. The Governor has proposed the following elements as part of his budget:
Governor’s Proposal: A NEGATIVE cost of living adjustment (COLA) of -.38%
Impact on HJUHSD: Equals a loss of $100,000 in funding for HJUHSD
Governor’s Proposal: $1.2 billion reduction in revenue limit funding for districts. The Governor has suggested this cut be limited to “central administrative functions” or “non-instructional” costs, but has not defined those terms at this time. Also proposed is $300 million in savings statewide by easing restrictions on school districts' ability to contract for services.
Impact on HJUHSD: Equals a loss of $900,000 in funding for HJUHSD
Governor’s Proposal: An ongoing deficit factor of 18.355% in funding for all schools (carried over from 2009-2010 and planned to continue each year until the state deficit is corrected).
Impact on HJUHSD: Equals a loss of $1.5 million in funding for HJUHSD
Estimated total impact for HJUHSD: A $2.5 million reduction in funding
LAST YEAR’S BUDGET CUTS: 2009-2010
There’ve been some questions about budget cuts made LAST YEAR. As a reminder, the initial State budget cuts for 2009-2010 were $1.8 million for our district.In addition to several operational changes to help reduce spending, we made the following changes last year:
Administration
- Cut the Director of Special Education position from full-time to a half-time.
- Cut the Hanford Adult School Assistant Principal position from full-time to a half-time.
- Eliminated the Hanford Night Continuation Principal position.
- Modified the Contract between teachers and the District to increase class size limits and to eliminate an extra non-teaching period for some ag teachers
- Eliminated 10 teaching positions. Some were resignations that were not filled, some were non re-hires and some were “pink-slip” layoffs.
- Eliminated one Bus Driver position
- Eliminated one Mechanic position
- Reduced the Career Center Technicians at HHS and HWHS by two hours per day each
- Eliminated two clerical positions at the District Office (Part-time Receptionist, Full-time Human Resources Clerk)
