School board confronts funding cuts

Last week, at the school district’s regular board meeting, Superintendent Barbara Young asked trustees to discuss the criteria to apply as they plan for the anticipated loss of funding, both from the failure of Measure E and from the governor’s proposed budget cuts. Board president Camerino Hawing suggested that the district’s Strategic Plan should be used for guidance.
This plan, developed in 2006 with input from community members, teachers and students, is a mission statement setting out core goals and values. The five-page document, available on the school district’s website (www.sonomavly.k12.ca.us/), states, “The priority goals will direct us in responding to and influencing changes in our educational environment as well as establishing a strong, sustainable foundation for the future. The continued partnership and support of the entire community will be essential in order to achieve our strategic plan.” The six identified goals are in the areas of community; curriculum, assessment and accountability; student success; professional practice; communications; and fiscal management. Ideally, all the goals would work in balance, and that is the challenge before the trustees now, in light of possible cuts as high as 10 percent.
Young said they were already starting to plan for 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 layoff, 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.
Board member Nicole Abate Ducarroz said the criteria should not be the most or least number of people affected: “Each person is important.” Student representative Nathaniel Lee said, “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.” Hawing said, “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.” Time pressure is upon the trustees, according to Young. “We have to have a budget before the board in June for approval. If we had to reduce staff, those notices are due March 15.“
Hawing noted in a separate interview, “We are facing hard times. Not just the school, but the hospital. The state threatens to cut across the board and we’re not immune to that.”
The next regular meeting of the school board is Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m.