The Santa Barbara Unified School District has identified $3.8 million in savings to prepare for upcoming salary negotiations with the Santa Barbara Teacher’s Association.
The district overall has a $10.9 million structural budget deficit.
“We are not talking about program changes,” Superintendent Cary Matsuoka said. “Everywhere we can, where there is discretion, we are trying to pull back.”
Matsuoka presented a list of several suggestions to cut the deficit, including not replacing laptops for up to five years, instead of the typical three, which would save the district about $380,000. He also suggested a soft freeze on travel and conference budgets, to save about $250,000.
“We’re just saying, ‘no more trips,” Matsuoka said.
“I think we can save money and get a good budget,” Matsuoka added.
Matsuoka said the identified cuts are to “get ready for negotiations.”
Teacher’s Association President Karen McBride told Noozhawk on Tuesday night that rising health care costs are of concern to the 725 teachers that the union represents.
“It’s tough in this community for teachers who are raising kids on a teacher’s salary, with the kind of health care costs that we have,” McBride said.
She said it’s a balancing act because she knows if they ask for health care costs to be reduced, it could come at the expense of a program.
“The bottom line is this is a tough community for new teachers to break into the job market and try to afford housing and all the things that go along with living here,” McBride said.
The superintendent said the board will meet in closed session on Feb. 11 to discuss negotiations with the teachers union.
“It’s a lot of good hard work, but it is getting harder,” Matsuoka said.
Dual Language Immersion Program
The Santa Barbara Unified School District plans to launch a dual language immersion program at Santa Barbara Junior High School, beginning this fall.
The students in the program will take a Spanish language arts/social science core block in Spanish, and will have the option of taking a third class, math, also in Spanish.
So far 25 students—all from Adelante Charter School—have committed to taking the classes.
“This is an example of a comprehensive approach to bringing forward a plan,” board member Jacqueline Reid said. “The process has been phenomenal. We are on a great pathway and this is an exciting new development. I am 150 percent behind this program.”
The district is also working on a dual language immersion program at the elementary level. The district is looking for sites, but it will likely be on the Westside, and open in the fall of 2021. The board will discuss it further on Feb. 25.
Core Knowledge Program Saved
Matsuoka apologized to the large crowd in attendance who were upset with the district’s attempt to cancel the popular Core Knowledge program at La Cumbre Junior High School.
It didn’t do him or the district any good, however.
Several parents blasted Matsuoka at Tuesday night’s meeting for the attempt to cancel the program, and then the abrupt decision Monday night to reinstate it, in the face of public pressure.
The program allows students to participate in a two-period Core that covers the state standards for English language arts and social studies. The third period of enrichment allows students to experience additional humanities topics and rigorous texts that “provide a strong foundation of knowledge and academic confidence for those students who choose to pursue Honors or AP coursework in high school.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.