Carlmont High Braces for Budget Cuts

A guidance counselor and vice principal at Carlmont High School could be among the things eliminated as Sequoia Union High School District grapples with millions of dollars in budget cuts.

Superintendent Dr. James Lianides and Carlmont High Principal Dr. Raul Zamora, however, told parents Tuesday night that officials are taking every step possible to ensure academic success at Carlmont be maintained.

Speaking to dozens of parents at the Carlmont Performing Arts Center, Lianides said that while the district has to make cuts to its budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year, they are being done in a way that impacts classroom instruction least.

“We’re doing everything possible to keep it as far away from the classroom,” Lianides said of reductions.

The district’s goal, Lianides said, has always been to look for cuts that didn’t affect classroom instruction.

“Our current budget strategy is to identify $4.5 to $5 million of reduction,” Lianides said.

The Sequoia Union High School District plan calls for cuts in areas such as administrative, counseling, utilities, adult education and transportation.

Under the proposed budget cuts, Carlmont High School stands to lose an academic guidance counselor and a vice principal. The school would close its pool in the winter, have two teacher furlough days and reduce the number of buses used to transport students to and from East Palo Alto.

The district was also dealt a setback this week when Gov. Jerry Brown announced negotiations to get a tax-extension proposal to voters in a special June election had halted, signaling even more uncertainly to school districts, including the Sequoia Union High School District.

Brown has previously said that if his proposal didn't pass in a special election in June, he would be forced to make major cuts to the K-12 public education system.

Without an extension of the 2009 tax increases on sales, personal income and vehicles, Lianides said there could be budget cuts at the state level resulting in an additional loss of funding for the Sequoia Union High School District.

And while no one really knows what a major budget cut would mean to the school district and to Carlmont High, Lianides said one figure floating around is losing roughly $349 per student.  

Lianides said the California Legislative Analyst’s Office puts the loss in funding to districts as high as $800 per student for the coming fiscal year.

With additional cuts looming, Lianides said the district is open to suggestions from community members. On the district’s website, there is a form where community members can make anonymous suggestions on ways it can make budget reductions while maintaining academic success at its schools.