State budget cuts push schools closer to edge

The California Department of Education recently reported a dramatic increase in the number of districts that may not meet financial obligations for the current and subsequent two years, including schools in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

The schools, buckling under the stress of billions of dollars in educating funding cuts, have a “qualified certification” on their first or second interim budgets.

Districts are required to certify their financial condition twice during the school year, for the periods ending Oct. 31 and Jan. 31.

Schools get a “negative certification” if they cannot pay their bills for the remainder of the current year or the subsequent year.
 

For the first interim-budget reporting period ending Oct. 31, Mark Twain Elementary School District in Calaveras County was certified “qualified,” as was Chinese Camp Elementary School District, Curtis Creek Elementary School District and Jamestown Elementary School District.

Jamestown Elementary was able to get out of “qualified” status by the second interim report for the 2008-09 school year by cutting about 12 percent of their $5.2 million budget and at their June 24 meeting reported a $4.3 million budget.

“We really made some serious cutbacks,” said Jamestown Elementary Business Manager Vonnie Butler.

The district re-examined the budget drastically and had a spending freeze.

“I think everybody’s on a very tight budget since we know we’re going to get hit again,” Butler said. “We’re frugal to the max.”

“Qualified status can change between interim reporting periods. Lots and lots of money would need to materialize or huge cuts would need to happen in order to accomplish that,” said Tonya Midget, chief business official for three Tuolumne County school districts.

Curtis Creek and Mark Twain school districts remained in “qualified status” at second interim, but both schools made large cuts, including four teaching positions at the Mark Twain district.

The Curtis Creek district board voted to shutter Sullivan Creek School and all district students will be on one campus starting in August. The district had to trim at least $300,000 from its budget to stay afloat.

Decreased state revenues during the 2008-09 school year meant the district received $530,022 less than during the 2007-08 year.

Chinese Camp was in negative status by second interim. Its 2008-09 operating budget was about $298,000 but would have had a $55,000 deficit going into the 2009-10 school year because of declining enrollment and reduced state funding.

The district was dissolved June 30 and annexed into the Jamestown School district July 8.

“Just two years ago, there were five districts on the negative certification list and 19 on the qualified list. Today, there are 19 districts on the negative certification list and 89 districts in California with a qualified certification status,” a California Department of Education statement said.

Districts in qualified status are under much more scrutiny by the County Schools Office, said Sonora Elementary Chief Business Official Cheryl Postolu.

Districts can be required to submit a third interim report and must show they are making reductions. The state becomes involved when a district is in negative status but there are many notifications and opportunities for review before that happens, she said.

“Unfortunately, the cuts to public education that are part of the state budget are likely to result in even more districts being added to this list,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said.