School Board Considers Restoring Programs Lost to Budget Cuts

Pleasanton school officials discussed restoring programs lost to earlier budget cuts, despite a still ailing state budget.

Assistant Superintendent Business Services Luz Cázares reported that the state budget deficit has increased from $9.2 billion in January to $15.7 billion, according to a statement from the .

If Governor Jerry Brown's tax initiative passes in November, the district will see flat funding, which would still equate to a $150,000 loss. If the tax
initiative does not pass, the district could see a $5.5 million loss, which is what the board planned for when it approved its budget reductions on Feb. 28.

Still, trustees heard information about restoring some of the formerly
approved cuts.  

The Association of Pleasanton Teachers made $2.3 million in concessions, making it even possible to talk about bringing back some beloved programs. The district is working with California School Employees Association (CSEA) on
a tentative agreement and CSEA program restoration will be discussed at a
future board meeting.

Proposed restorations are:
 • K-12 Counseling, 5.1 full-time employees ($408K)
 • Reading Intervention Support, 4 full-time employees ($320K)
 • Physical Education Specialist Sections at Elementary Schools, 5 full-time employes ($400K)
 • Additional Sections at the High School, 0.8 full-time employees ($64K)
 • Regional Occupational Program (ROP), ($100K)

Many speakers came to request restoration of certain programs.  Parents
spoke in support of counselors, class size reduction, reading programs,
physical education, and library programs among others.  Trustees shared
their funding priorities and thanked the many speakers for sharing their
personal stories. No action was taken.  The list will be brought back for a vote at the June 5 meeting.

The board also approved a bid to repair the administration building roof. California Roofing Project was awarded the
contract.

The board also approved a bid to award Kidango a contract to rent facilities located at 4667 Bernal Avenue for child care.  They will continue to provide a full-time pre-school program for children 2-5 years of age from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The board voted to approve the management and confidential employee salary
schedule, which reflects five furlough days given by management to help mitigate the impact of the budget cuts.

The board approved a resolution, from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to urge congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

The board approved to use $75,000 from the $722,000 gift by the Pleasanton Schools Education Enrichment (PSEE) Foundation.  This $75,000 will be used to fund the Band/Strings Teacher positions at the elementary schools.

The board voted to approve the contract of employment for the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services.  Mrs. Cindy Galbo-Lorimer will be retiring at the end of this school year and Dr. Odie Douglas will move into the position. This is a two year contract that will start July 1, 2012. Once Dr. Douglas is on board, he will have an opportunity to visit school sites to meet the staff, parents and community members.

The next meeting will be June 5 at the District Office, 4665 Bernal Avenue.