Spring Break offers little respite from uncertain future
DISTRICT HDQTRS. — It’s pink slip season again.
Dozens of teachers will lose their jobs this fall if the local school district’s finances don’t improve soon.
Facing a worst-case shortfall of $3.5 million, the local school board on Thursday voted unanimously to warn the equivalent of 52 full-time workers that their jobs are on the line.
Superintendent John Deasy said the projected $3.5 million shortfall is based on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most recent budget proposal. It also assumes City Hall will give the school district $5.25 million — the same figure as last year.
Part of the reason for the shortfall, Deasy explained, is rising worker’s compensation costs, utility bills, and health and welfare expenses — which will increase by 18 percent.
“It’s a worst-case scenario,” Deasy said after the meeting. “Obviously, you don’t do best-case scenario. You have to be sure you can handle any cuts coming from the state.”
Deasy estimated about 40 full-and part-time teachers will receive pink slips, adding six administrators also will be noticed that their jobs may be eliminated come fall if the district’s financial outlook doesn’t improve. By law, all certified workers must be told by March 15 if they will have a job the following school year.
“We hope that the majority of these notices will be recalled,” said Deasy, adding the Los Angeles Unified School District is facing a $444 million reduction next year. “But there’s no way that we can construct next year’s budget without having to make reductions, and that will mean positions will be lost.
“Most districts are doing this.” Fifteen of the positions in jeopardy are elementary school teachers. The remaining faculty instruct in the following subjects: Woodshop, Art, English, English as a Second Language, Humanities, Industrial Technology, Music, Physical Education, Spanish, French, Japanese, Social Studies, Science and Math.
The pink slips come as the battle over a controversial charter amendment is beginning to heat up. The proposal would force City Hall to hand over at least $6 million each year to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, with modest increases comparable to the city’s revenue growth.
Supporters of the proposal on Tuesday gathered about half of the 8,000-plus signatures it needs to place the charter amendment on the ballot this November. More than 200 volunteers gathered signatures at every polling place in Santa Monica.
Louise Jaffe and Shari Davis, co-chairs of the Community for Excellent Public Schools, sponsor of the charter amendment, said the $6 million donation is a small portion of the city’s budget, but would greatly benefit the cash-strapped district.
“We believe it’s in the city best interest to have good schools,” Jaffe said Friday. “That’s the issue.”
“It’s a horrible (financial) situation throughout the state,” she added. “But this is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill town. This is a prosperous community and this is a priority of the community. They have proven that time and time again.”
Mayor Richard Bloom said the proposal is dangerous because it earmarks money for the schools without finding a source, meaning it will lead to cuts in other programs. He added that City Hall spent in excess of $17 million last year on schools and school-related programs. Two major labor unions at City Hall have come out against the proposed charter amendment.
“Its one thing to ask somebody to sign a petition for a ballot measure by saying, ‘Wouldn’t you like the city to allocate another $3 million for kids,’” Bloom said. “It’s another thing entirely to vote for that, when one understands, as I think the public will, that that will have significant financial impacts.
“It’s well-intentioned and I understand that people will be inclined to sign a petition,” he added. “It’s fatally misguided.”
A similar charter amendment passed in San Francisco on Tuesday with more than 70 percent of the vote. Called Proposition H, San Francisco’s charter amendment created a public education fund that would increase city funding of schools by $10 million or $15 million a year until 2011, when the amount of the increase will be the same percentage as the general fund revenue increases. If there is a decrease, the city will get less money.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 6, 2004. Read the original PDF.