Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Principal's Letter

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

IMPORTANT—PLEASE COMPLETE SURVEY LINKED TO THIS LETTER

Dear BCE Parents and Family Members,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your quick response to our last e-mail regarding the tree being down. We were able to arrange rides home for all students. I appreciate that our community can work together so quickly.

Attached you will find a letter from Superintendent Julie Haff that addresses some of the issues regarding our district's budget. Included in her letter is a link to a family survey that will help the district prioritize funding for programs in this time of economic uncertainty. This survey needs to be submitted before 8pm on Monday, February 16. Thank you in advance for supporting our students.

Also, many of you have asked how you can show support for our schools as critical governmental decisions are being considered that will affect future funding. We received the following information from the California Teacher's Association today:

Budget Alert! Call Today!

Please help secure the funding our schools need!

The California Teachers Association has set up hotlines so you can call and let our lawmakers know that our schools need funding!

1. Call your assembly member (Bill Monning) and your state senator (Joe Simitian) using CTA's "Cuts Hurt" hotline: 1-888-268-4334

2. Email Governor Schwarzenegger


The following is the letter from Superintendent Julie Haff:

San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District

February 10, 2009

Dear Parents,

It has been estimated that SLVUSD will have to reduce its expenditures by at least $3 million over the next two years. The State of California faces an unprecedented budget shortfall of over $42,000,000,000. This budget crisis will significantly impact the services and opportunities in California's public schools.

The governor's Proposed Budget for 2009-10 was announced in early January and will be adopted sometime this summer. Although the final budget will look significantly different, school districts are required to use the governor's budget reductions as outlined in his proposal.

While we do not yet know the exact details of the budget that we will need to implement, we do need to begin to prioritize our programs and identify potential reductions in our district. We are asking parents and community members to take 5-10 minutes to complete the following survey. This survey is intended to provide information to the administrative team and the Board of Trustees as they make these difficult financial decisions. There is space at the end of the survey for you to write additional comments, ideas and suggestions.

Please complete the anonymous survey (one per household) by Monday, February 16, 2009 before 8:00p.m. The results of the survey will be posted on the District's website. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Julie Haff
Superintendent
Additional Information…
  • There is very little news coming from Sacramento and no agreement has been made on the 2008-09 budget and funding. We DO know that schools will have to make cuts in the current year. Estimates are between $300 and $700 per pupil.
  • The General Fund expenditure budget is $22,000,000 – 80% of this is used for salaries and benefits.
  • Certificated staff (teachers, counselors and administrators) must be noticed by March 15 if there is a chance their position may be reduced or eliminated. If they are not noticed by March 15, they must be retained the following year—even if their funding source is later eliminated by the state.
  • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is currently being debated in Washington. This act proposes the creation of a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. It is unclear at this time how much would be allocated to California, if any.
What steps are we taking in SLVUSD?
  • The District Office Administration was recently reorganized, reducing expenditures by more than $40,000 a year.
  • In early November, a freeze on hiring and spending was put in place. (Health and safety items and donations are not included in the freeze.)
  • Staff seniority lists are being reviewed and updated.
  • Each department and program is being reviewed and audited for its effectiveness.
  • Staff is carefully monitoring the district's cash flow. This will help us to meet our payroll obligations.
  • Both unions have completed their 2008-09 contract negotiations with the District.
How are we increasing our revenues in the district?

  • Each principal has implemented a "Good Attendance" campaign.
  • Additional unused classrooms at Quail and Redwood have been leased to the public.
  • The inter-district transfer process continues to be refined. This reduces the number of students (and revenue) leaving our district.
  • Ocean Grove, our independent charter, continues to grow in enrollment.
  • The District recently implemented GreenWaste.
  • The District completed a state plan to qualify for lower electric and phone rates.
  • All contract services are being reviewed, and when appropriate, will be performed by district staff.
What Energy Savings Programs are we exploring?

The District will be exploring

  • …processes to go paperless
  • …paperless Board Agendas/Packets
  • …closing down the school sites during holidays
  • …turning all computers/printers off by 5:00p.m.
  • …elimination of all small appliances
  • …the replacement of paper towels with an alternative
  • …turning all heaters/AC's off at 5:00p.m. daily
Please complete all applicable grade level/program surveys in which your child(ren) is/are attending:
  • Elementary School (K-5) Survey – Page 1,
  • Middle School (6-8) Survey – Page 2, and
  • High School (9-12) Survey – Page 3.
  • Charter parents may contact Principal Dunlap for a copy of the Charter Survey.
To complete the Parent Survey, please go here.



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