LCAP = No Accountability for Students and Taxpayers

Under California’s new Local Control Funding Formula, the State is getting out of any oversight of local school districts... so is the County Office of Education. The only oversight going forward is the Local Control Accountability Plan. The concept is to have one pot of money that can be spent - with no state mandates to spend money on any specific category; then have “Stakeholders” work with the district to decide the priorities of the District and use the funding to best educate students.

In theory it would be good for decisions to be made locally however, if the State keeps tax revenue that should go back to the local District for implementation of educational programs issues arise. When funding is limited, what is in the best interest of tax payers and students may not be what is in the best interests of employees.

Class Size As One Example

Do stakeholders want to use money to increase employee compensation or to reduce class sizes?Parents and the public have been pretty vocal about class sizes that are so large they are no longer conducive to the education of students (especially younger students in grades 1- 3 now at 32 kids per teacher).
Capistrano Unified (under the 2014-15 CUEA Contract Tentative Agreement retroactively approved April 22, 2015)

Class Size Maximums:

• Transitional Kindergarten: 33:1 (2013-14 and 2014-15); 32:1 (there after)
• Kindergarten: 33:1
• Grades 1 - 3: 32:1
• Grades 4 - 5: 33:1
• Grades 6 - 8: 35:1
• Grades 9 - 12: 36:1

Staffing Ratios:

• Transitional Kindergarten: 30.5:1
• Kindergarten: 30.5:1
• Grades 1 - 3: 31.5:1
• Grades 4 - 5: 31.5:1
• Grades 6 - 8: 32.5:1
• Grades 9 - 12: 34.5:1

*Note: At the secondary level, these maximums apply only to core academic classes (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language)

*Note: These are average class sizes - CUSD has many individual class rooms that far exceed the stated maximum.

*Note: Read 8.5.1 Which gives teachers one extra full day of pay per month if class sizes are exceeded in grades 4 and 5

*Note: Read 8.5.2 Which gives teachers one extra full day of pay per month if class sizes are exceeded in grades 6 - 12. Plus if the maximum class size is exceeded the teacher also gets one release day per month with pay (that means the district is paying for a sub and the teacher).

*Note: Read Article 14 Wages: In addition to a 2% across the Board Salary increase, Teachers received a 1% one time Collaboration payment. So- 2% Salary increase + 1.056% COLA Increase + 1% Collaboration Payment- Grand Total 4.056% increase in pay for 2014-15. This does not include pension and benefit increases for 2014-15.

*Note: ACE days 2013-14: 4 Ace days per month - these are your early out, or late start days that give teachers time for staff meetings and collaboration (time on campus where they are not with students) Under the new 2014-15 contracts the number of ACE days increased to 6 - 8 which will effect Instructional minutes.

Source: April 22, 2015 CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda Item #4 Tentative Agreement CUEA/CUSD for July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015 (Exhibit 4 page 23)

http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/4316232143675230130.pdf

The 2013-14 Contract can be found at:http://www.cuea.org/information_v2/ContractToJun2013.pdfACE days are on page 9 and 10 in the new contract ACE days are on Page 10 of 13

The LCAP re: Class SizeThe LCAP Page 45 of 73 For 2014-15 Spending to Decrease Class Size:

• Certificated Personnel Salaries Base $3,949,600
• Certificated Personnel Salaries Supplemental $987,400

Total $4,937,00 to reduce class sizes per negotiated agreement.

*Note: There was no agreement until April 22, 2015

* Note: There was no class size reduction - class size stayed the same for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The only reduction to class size is projected for 2015-16 in Grades Transitional Kindergarten and kindergarten where class size will decrease from 33:1 to 32:1 So what was the $4,937,00 spent on?

LCFF Law - K - 3 Grade Span Adjustment

See: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcfffaq.asp#K3GSA

The LCFF Law wants Districts to work towards a 24:1 student to teacher ratio in grades K - 3. While they will let Districts negotiate class sizes they provide additional funding to Districts that can achieve 24:1.

Unfortunately for students- Districts can negotiate whatever class sizes they would like- hence CUSD’s decision to spend money on employee compensation increases rather than spend the money to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes.CUSD is not making any progress towards reducing class sizes which is what the Public is asking for. So there is no accountability and no real public engagement, and the OCDE signs off on whatever the District does:

April 16, 2015 Letter from OCDE re: 2014-15 CUSD/CUEA Contract - note that this letter from OCDE came one week before the tentative agreement was made public at the April 22, 2015 Board meeting.

The Board Will Vote to Adopt the 2015-16 Budget which addresses class size differently than the employment contracts and LCAP

June 24, 2015 Board Meeting Agenda Item # Budget Assumptions for 2015-16 at Page 210

http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1095880305525509113.pdf

Staffing Formula (exactly the same as 2014-15)

• Transitional Kindergarten: 30.5:1
• Kindergarten: 30.5:1
• Grades 1 - 3: 31.5:1
• Grades 4 - 5: 31.5:1
• Grades 6 - 8: 32.5:1 (includes prep time and electives)
• Grades 9 - 12: 34.5:1 (includes prep time and electives)

But there is a note: Grades 1-3 will be staffed at 30:1 in order to comply with Education Code 41376. The CUSD/CUEA contract does not say that. The LCAP does not say that.

We have the employment contract, the LCAP and the Budget Assumptions that make different statements about class size reduction- however, they all prove that the District is not making progress in reducing class sizes - a priority that has been expressed over and over again by Stakeholders who will not personally benefit from increased compensation. Only Trustees can prevent employees from being unjustly enriched at the expense of students.

Any Trustee who votes Yes to Adopt the 2015-16 Budget and Approve the 2015-16 LCAP is breaching their legal fiduciary duty to students and the public and should be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately for students - that is the only oversight that remains for students and the Public.

PUBLIC NOTICE TO TRUSTEES:

Be very careful how each of you individually vote June 24, 2015. You have a legal duty to represent the students and taxpayers. You do not represent the employee groups. The LCAP should state specifically what staffing ratios and maximum class sizes will be each year 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18; then the District must meet that goal before any compensation increases are granted.