How to fund our schools?

At the regular Sonoma Valley Unified School District trustees meeting last night, Superintendent Barbara Young asked board members to discuss the criteria the board should apply as they plan to deal, in February, with the loss of the anticipated funding, which could turn out to be as much as 10 percent.
Young said they were already starting to plan for the cuts. “We’ll be sitting down immediately with our administrators to make sure we’re holding back 10 percent,” she said. “We’re going to be building budgets. We’re in a situation where we can weather any major lay-off, as we have enough people on leave.” Still, it is uncertain what the numbers will be. “The government has told us they’ll withhold payment in the summer, so basically they can collect interest on our money,” she said. Then she turned to the board for guidance. “What’s important to us is to say what criteria would you like us to use.”
Board member Nicole Abate Ducarroz said the criteria should not be most or least number of people affected: “Each person is important.” Student representative Nathaniel Lee said, “I think the most important thing is to prepare the student for the next level. That’s what going to school is about, getting what you need at one level so you can go on to the next level.” Board president Camerino Hawing suggested they let the strategic plan be the criteria. “The strategic plan was a huge effort for everyone to define the way we want to educate our kids. I think it’s a good basis for us to make decisions.”
The next regular meeting of the school board is February 12, at 6:30 p.m.