Santa Barbara School District Looking for Ways to Cut $6 Million from Budget

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/020810_santa_barbara_school_district_looks_for_ways_to_save_6_million/

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer

Classrooms are likely to feel the pinch, with programs and staff positions on the chopping block

The Santa Barbara School District must slash its upcoming budget by at least $6 million through cuts to programs and staff, and officials say they can no longer keep those cuts from affecting the classroom.

School board members told staff to have a final reading of the budget ready Feb. 23, and they will discuss the planned cuts at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Certain cost-cutting measures require the cooperation of employee associations, so it’s possible additional measures to cut costs and increase revenues will be on the way if agreements can’t be made.

The largest program cuts in the Fiscal Solvency Plan are proposals to eliminate Home School Santa Barbara and La Cuesta/Dos Pueblos Continuation School.

The change to basic aid makes Home School Santa Barbara, which includes kindergarten through sixth grade, less financially viable, and eliminating it would save $200,000 next year.

The two full-time teachers at La Cuesta/Dos Pueblos Continuation School aren’t justified by its low enrollment, according to district staff, so students most likely would move to Dos Pueblos High School or Alta Vista Alternative High School.

To reduce overstaffing in the secondary district, all class-size maximums would be enforced. Reducing faculty by about 45 full-time equivalents would save more than $3.3 million. It would be the second attempt to manipulate class size to reduce costs. With the one-time budget cuts last fall, kindergarten through third-grade class sizes were bumped from a 20-1 ratio to 25-1.

Class-size caps have long been a problem for the district because of the limited flexibility, Superintendent Brian Sarvis said.

Reducing the number of on-site psychologists would save nearly $500,000, and eliminating the elementary district summer school program would save $85,000.

Other administrative cuts include replacing a Santa Barbara Community Academy principal with a head teacher, reducing the number of administrative assistants in junior high schools and eliminating career center technician positions, one child development program coordinator and alternative education staff. 

The administrator of safety, welfare and attendance position, currently held by Bud Andrews, also could be eliminated to save about $82,000. Andrews’ duties could be assigned to Michael Gonzalez, the director of student services and compliance.

Besides moving some funds around, the district plans to put one of its waste-hauling contracts up for bid to lower the cost, replace local phone lines with voice-over Internet protocol, and have the Santa Barbara Police Department reinstated as the source for crossing guard program funds.

The police stopped funding the program last year, and the school board appropriated $112,000 to pay for it. This year, the staff recommends that police restore funding, since it is a public safety issue.

School board meetings are held in the board room of the Santa Barbara School District administration office, 720 Santa Barbara St. Regular meetings now begin at 6 p.m.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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