Schools
Capistrano Unified School District Hires Lobbying Firm To Represent The District's Interests in Scramento
Only In A Morally Bankrupt State, Is It Necessary For A Struggling School District To Spend Money To Hire A Professional Advocate
Only In A Morally Bankrupt State, Is It Necessary For A Financially Struggling School District To Spend Money To Hire A Professional Advocate To Lobby On Behalf of Students So That Elected Leaders Can Be Enticed To Fulfill Their Constitutionally Mandated Obligation To Provide a FREE and ADEQUATE K-12 Public Education To Every Student In The State Of California- Even Those Who Happen To Live In A Wealthy District.
At the March 25, 2015 Board of Trustees Meeting Trustees voted to hire the firm Capital Advisors Group to:
“provide the district with strategic counsel and assistance in developing mutually-beneficial partnerships. The contract for providing such consulting services expires June 30, 2016. The Agreement provides professional consulting services related to legislative, administrative, and regulatory guidance. The fee for these services will be $4,000 per month for the term of the contract, and will be funded by the general fund.”
Source: March 25, 2015 BOT Meeting Agenda Item #16 page 189
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/9000450599948979580.pdf
Unfortunately for students in CUSD, there is little alternative. California’s new funding law is intentionally designed to underfund wealthy suburban school districts.
Under the Local Control Funding Formula, total Per Pupil Funding in the Capistrano Unified School District was $6,773 in 2012-13 and is currently $7,002 per student with the expectation that funding will grow to $8,500 by 2021.
To put that number into perspective CUSD is receiving $2,499 per student less then California’s current average per pupil spending of $9,501 and $4,224 per student less than the current national average of $11,226.
CUSD has a student population of 52,985 students.
If CUSD were to be funded at the California State Average, CUSD would receive an additional $132 million dollars per year in revenue.
If CUSD were funded at the National average, CUSD would receive an additional $224 million dollars per year in revenue.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Capistrano Unified is one of the most underfunded school districts in the State of California and in the Nation.
To add insult to injury- the State of California is passing increased costs of CalSTRS and CalPERS (California’s public employee retirement system) down to local school districts. The cost is expected to increase to 10% of the districts total budget by the year 2021 which will mean that over 100% of the District’s budget will be going to employee salaries, pensions, and benefits. There will be no money for anything else. Hence the need for a Sacramento based lobbyist to try and get additional funding.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In addition- the District is facing several challenges which will could make the District’s financial position even worse for students.
Source: Capistrano Unified School District Financial Report- 2015-16 State Budget -Governor’s January Proposal and LAO Assessment
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1656258531914081660.pdf
Prop 30 taxes are expected to expire unless taxpayers vote to extend the taxes.
It is now a settled fact that 80% of Prop 30 K- 12 revenue went to salaries, pensions and benefits for employees; and not to the classroom. It is unlikely that taxpayers will vote to continue the Prop 30 taxes because of the mis-representation of how the money would be spent. Money is always promised to the kids- yet it somehow only makes it into the pockets of the adults.
Source: State of California Office of Controller “Track Prop 30”
http://trackprop30.ca.gov/K12State.aspx
The justification for that is always that teachers are the only expense a school has. However, when you look at the flip side, CUSD has cut $157 million from its budget since 2006 (30%) and teachers salary schedule has only been reduced by 1.2% during that time.
The Truth About Teachers Salaries In CUSD
Despite the fact that CUSD has cut $152 million from its budget since 2006- the CUSD teacher salary schedule has only decreased by 1.2%. That was in 2010 as a result of the 2010 Teachers Union strike mediation agreement. With employee compensation representing over 92% of the Districts budget- how have Trustees allowed CUEA to shield the teachers salary schedule to that extent?
Capistrano Unified Teachers Salaries:
*NOTE: The 1.2% Salary reduction was restored this summer using $5.62 million of the $8.24 million in new LCFF money.Source: Memorandum from Clark Hampton, Deputy Superintendent, Business and Support Services re: USE OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM 2012- 2013 to 2013- 2014 AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1343191429797/5667737573387975994.pdf page 1 and Chart on Page 2
Sources:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/fd/cs/documents/j90summary1213.pdf
j90summary1011 (PDF; 1MB; 44pp.)
j90summary0910 (PDF; 1MB; 46pp.)j
90summary0809 (DOC; 464KB; 43pp.)
j90summary0506 (DOC; 453KB; 43pp.)
j90summary0405 (DOC; 455KB; 44pp.)
j90summary0304 (DOC; 521KB; 44pp.)
j90total0001 (DOC; 522KB; 44pp.)
j90total9900 (PDF; 4MB; 44pp.)
The New LCFF Restores Education Funding To 2008 Levels by the Year 2021
CUSD has cut $152 million from the District’s budget since 2008 – Restoring Budgets to 2008 levels will not begin to provide adequate funding for students now and certainly not in the year 2021
Additional Increased Expenses Facing CUSD
Risk of Future Recession
The United States is currently in the longest recover since the Civil War and at some point we will experience another economic downturn and we have not had the funding to fix our facilities, restore class sizes or programs..
Increasing Electricity Costs
Electric rates have increased over 40% in the last 2 years
Declining Enrollment
District funding is based on average daily attendance (ADA) enrollment declines mean less revenue.
In short: Funding is being restored to 2008 levels by 2021 while expenses continue to climb every year and will far exceed 2008 levels.
Students in Capistrano Unified are being deprived of sufficient funding for an adequate education simply because they live in a “wealthy” area. If a paid advocate can be the squeaky wheel that calls attention to this great injustice then it will be money well spent.
Sources:
Capistrano Unified School District Financial Report- Governor’s 2014-15 Proposed Budget and May Revise Update Education Week Research Center
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1331468026996732138.pdf
Local Control Funding Formula Overview
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp
Local Control Funding Formula CUSD
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1392894044236
Per Pupil Spending by District California as of Feb 18, 2014
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/fd/ec/currentexpense.asp
Education Week’s California 2014 High Lights
http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2014/shr/16shr.ca.h33.pdf