The Board of Education on Tuesday night adopted the 2008-09 budget and approved multi-year projections through 2011.
The $104.4 million budget reflects $7.7 million in cuts from 2007-08, a product of Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to slash state spending for education following his January declaration of a fiscal emergency. Although the governor’s May revise is much more favorable to education than was his January proposal, Chief Business Officer Carol Gregorich told the Board, an intense budget debate under way in the Legislature makes it unlikely there will be a resolution until late summer or fall. In the absence of concrete numbers, and because school budgets must be submitted before July 1, Ms. Gregorich said, she took a conservative approach in crafting the budget.
Ms. Gregorich also noted for the Board that the governor’s revise relies on the sale of the lottery or a tax increase, neither of which can occur until November. If they fail, the District could be forced to make mid-year cuts of approximately $2 million. She also noted that the multi-year projections were created under the assumption that COLAs (cost-of-living adjustments) will be funded in 2009-10 and 2010-11. If COLAs are not funded, the District will have to make an additional $3.5 million in cuts.
Also on Tuesday night, the Board approved school plans for student achievement, known as Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA), for 2008-09 and 2009-10. Incoming Chief Academic Officer Glynn Thompson and Director of Assessment & Evaluation Craig Boyan noted that site SPSAs are aligned with the New Haven Strategic Plan, and the Strategic Plan also serves as the basis for the Local Education Agency Plan (LEAP), a blueprint for school change required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Principal Joanne Stanley presented an overview of Pioneer Elementary’s SPSA, and plans also were approved for Alvarado, Emanuele, Hillview Crest, Kitayama and Searles elementaries, Alvarado Middle, and Conley-Caraballo and James Logan high schools. The plan for Cesar Chavez Middle School will be completed after the School Site Council representing the “new” CCMS is formed, as Chavez welcomes students from the closed Barnard-White Middle School and operates in 2008-09 at the former BWMS campus while CCMS is modernized. Eastin Elementary will submit its plan after completing its site Strategic Plan.
Also on Tuesday night, the Board:
● Before approving the budget, thanked Chief Business Officer Gregorich for her many years of service to the District, as this was her final meeting before she retires. Superintendent Dr. Pat Jaurequi also thanked Ms. Gregorich, as well as Executive Director of Operations Enrique Palacios, who is leaving the District to become Deputy Superintendent in Gilroy.
● Approved the appointments of Penny Loetterle as principal of Eastin Elementary School and Heidi Green as principal of Emanuele Elementary School. Chief Academic Officer Thompson introduced Ms. Loetterle and Ms. Green as well as new Logan High Principal Judy Billingsley and Director of Secondary Leadership Joe Feldman.
● Recognized Barnard-White Middle School resource center assistant Rosa Thompson, the District’s 2007-08 Classified Employee of the Year, who was named this spring as one of six inaugural winners of the state Classified School Employees of the Year award.
Agendas of regular Board of Education meetings and minutes of past meetings are available on the District website: www.nhusd.k12.ca.us
Comments
Add Comment