Dozens of job cuts on table at area schools

More than 75 teachers in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties may not have jobs in the next few months.

Monday was the deadline for schools across the state to notify teachers of possible layoffs in the 2010-2011 school year. Teachers must receive final notices May 15.

Statewide, 21,905 “pink slips” were issued to teachers, according to the California Department of Education.

In 2009, more than 16,000 teachers were laid off and about 10,000 non-teaching school staff also lost their jobs, the CDE reports.
  

“The Governor has proposed cutting another $2.4 billion from public education,” said Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“While I understand the Governor and the Legislature have tough decisions to make, these budget cuts are devastating our schools and impacting our ability to do the most important job in our society, that is, to teach our children.”

Sonora and Curtis Creek schools Superintendent Margie Bulkin agrees.

Bulkin said year after year educators put up with cuts to school funding.

“Our legislators have undercut us so much it makes our mission nearly impossible. ...They’ve broken their promise to education,” Bulkin said.

Summerville High and Twain Harte-Long Barn Superintendent John Keiter agreed and said the state isn’t going to give districts “diddly-squat.”

“They’re not keeping up their end of the promise to keep school districts funded,” Keiter said.

Bulkin said over the last three years Sonora Elementary has cut 30 percent of the teaching staff, with virtually the same enrollment.

“They’re asking us to do a job with no toolbox to work with. We want them to fill our toolbox,” Bulkin said. “We’ve encouraged our parents to write legislators and the governor to voice their concerns.”

Districts in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties vary greatly. Districts like Belleview and Soulsbyville are facing different budget issues than districts like Calaveras Unified that may lay off 24 teachers.

Some districts like Sonora Elementary and High, Summerville High and Curtis Creek are offering teachers early retirement incentives to help bridge the budget gap.

Districts have had little indication from the state regarding how much will be cut from education funding.

Schools won’t know more until the revision of the Governor’s budget is released, usually in May, called the May Revise, said Kim Burr, Sonora High chief business official.

“Last year the May revise didn’t happen until June ... Hopefully we will know more by then,” Burr said.

Summerville High-Twain Harte-Curtis Creek chief business official Tonya Midget said she attended a budget workshop Monday in Sacramento and Senate Education Committee Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, was a speaker.

Midget said according to Simitian the 2011-12 school year will be the most difficult because districts will have spent federal stimulus money and there won’t be any reserves left to fall back on.

“He said he doesn’t anticipate recovery for schools until 2015,” Midget said.

“None of the news we hear is good. The state is in a terrible position,” said Rick Brewer, Vallecito interim superintendent.

Belleview School board president Gail Ashby, said that while the district has a 40 percent reserve and they aren’t laying teachers off, they hope to fund-raise for things like the library and field trips.

“Foreclosures are not slowing down,” Ashby said. “Our goal is to survive this and still provide a quality education. We’re real small, there’s no where else for us to cut.”

Ashby said the district has been able to save money by sharing services for the superintendent, staff training and bus maintenance. Several other districts will also be sharing services to reduce costs.

Some districts are cutting administrative costs, like Big Oak Flat-Groveland, which will go from two principals and one superintendent to one principal and one superintendent-principal and Curtis Creek which had two principals but will go down to one.

Soulsbyville School Superintendent Jeff Winfield said he is optimistic for the future and a return to growing enrollment.

“We had a significant birth rate increase in 2007... those kids should be starting (school) in the next couple of years,” Winfield said.

Here are some of the cuts local districts are making (some layoffs are for part-time positions or programs and are represented by a fraction):

Calaveras Unified School District —issued 24 layoff notices, must cut $2.1 million from budget.

Vallecito Union School District —issued 5.5 layoff notices, must cut $1 million from budget.

Mark Twain Union Elementary School District —issued four layoff notices.

Belleview — No layoff notices issued.

Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District —issued eight layoff notices, must cut $700,000 from budget.

Columbia Elementary — reduced music program by half of a position, reduced .2 focus room counselor and eliminated its Community Day School due to substantial loss in funding; must reduce budget by $30,000.

Columbia College — facing a $12 million shortfall in revenue.

Curtis Creek — issued six layoff notices and must reduce budget by $575,000.

Jamestown —Information was not available.

Sonora Elementary —issued 7.8 layoff notices and must reduce budget by $490,000. 

Sonora Union High School District —Must reduce budget by $2 million and issued layoff notices for 12.1 positions that equal 18 teachers affected.

Soulsbyville —Issued one layoff notice.

Summerville Elementary — Information was not available.

Summerville Union High School District —Must reduce budget by $861,000, though the district may only address $562,000 of it, officials say. The equivalent of 10.61 full-time positions or parts of programs will be reduced but district officials say the actual number to be reduced will be less.

Twain Harte-Long Barn Union School District —issued notices for 3.5 positions and must reduce budget by $173,277.