School District Considers Cutting Special Programs

Given its first sobering look at what it means to make up a $4.8 million deficit, the Los Altos school board is considering cutting programs in the coming year that are considered extras in other districts but core here.

The K-8 district faces an average deficit of $4.8 million per year, for the next four school years. The programs, its teachers and specialists on the cutting board now represent the worst-case scenario. Such cuts would be needed if a state tax referendum in June and a proposed Los Altos School District parcel tax in May do not pass, said Randall Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business services.

The district needs to issue pink slips to staff before those elections to comply with a March 15 deadline to give certificated staff layoff notices.

"It is still too early to tell how many teachers might still be laid off, as we are hoping to get concessions from employees' recompensation, and that will affect the equation," Kenyon said. "Also, some program reductions involve staff other than teachers. As you can tell, it is a complicated puzzle."

Joe Seither, the new co-president of the Los Altos Education Foundation, or LAEF, warned the school district that if it cuts programs the foundation sponsors, then there is no telling if the foundation will still be able to raise a significant amount of money.

“The unknown is what would parents continue to donate at a high level if we lose a bunch of the programs we support,” Seither said.

Cole Seither, a sixth-grader at Oak School and Joe’s son, spoke in front of the board to back up his favorite programs, like advanced math, which is considered to be cut completely, and the music program.

“I think [advanced math] should not be cut, because it helps sixth-graders above the level get what we need …" Cole Seither said. "Also, Blach has a much higher standard music program, so if [the elementary music program] get cut, I don’t think we’ll be ready.”  

The programs and its specialists on the table right now are employee compensation changes, and cuts in science support specialists, district office staff, maintenance and operations, special education, library program, English language learner program, computer specialists and tech support, music/art program, advanced math program, P.E. specialists, junior high school teacher-in-charge program and junior high school psychologists/counselors. Also under consideration are class-size increases with combo classes and class-size increases with students changing schools.

Patch has put the PowerPoint slides from the district's presentation above and to the right. Slides 8-23 detail the potential cuts. --->

A deeper look at these programs shows cutting three classified employees from the library program would save $160,000, and cutting the fourth- through sixth-grade music/art program, eliminating 3.3 certificated staff members and 1.9 classified staff members, would save $450,000, according to slides 13 and 16.

Following through with everything laid out would save the district about $4 million, according to Kenyon. So, if the parcel and state tax do not go through, more would still need to be done to solve the deficit.

The board clearly felt the pressure of contemplating these cuts, after years of having to already trimming and trimming programs.

“I am sick and tired of cutting staff the last four years,"  said board member Margot Harrigan. "These are human beings who come here with the hope of being here a long time.

"We build relationships and say goodbye to colleagues," she continued. "This is just nonsense.”

If the programs’ specialists are laid off, some programs would continue—with expectations of the regular classroom teachers fulfilling the guidelines, according to the board. For example, a classroom teacher would have to talk his students out and teach P.E. if the P.E. specialists are cut.

Harrigan said there are thousands of schools across the state that ask their teachers to do the same things, and they have fewer programs but still produce good students.

Board president Bill Cooper said there is something “special” about the Los Altos schools. “I don’t want to aspire to be like every other school,” he said.

The board feels compelled to consider what might happen to the LAEF funds if “emotional” programs like music are cut.

“All these programs are things we’d love to continue, but if we have to trade that off with large classes, I’d keep the small class sizes,” said vice president Mark Goines. "And we need to sell that to people donating money to LAEF.” 

The board meets again to discuss the possible cuts March 7, just over a week before the March 15 deadline for layoff notices. The district will not know the results of the parcel tax until May and the state tax until June. Layoff notices can serve as warnings to staff, as some might be rescinded after these tax results arrive.