Dozens of parents and community members turned out Wednesday night to give feedback on the school district’s proposed budget reductions. Leading the meeting, which board members attended but were not allowed a voice, was Justin Frese, assistant superintendent for the district.
Armed with a handout detailing the $1.026 million in cuts the district needs to make, Frese requested input which he and the district staff will take into consideration before coming back with a final recommendation at the next school board meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 6:30 p.m.
The list of proposed reductions include eliminating the two percent raise for teachers and a twenty-five percent grab of Sonoma Valley Adult School funding. Also cuts to the budgets of maintenance and operations, transportation and the teen parent program are being considered. Also on the table, would be reducing summer school by thirty percent and eliminating two school days from the calendar.
Audience feedback swung from those in favor of maintaining the highest level of services for at-risk students like those at the Gateway community day school and the teen parent program, to others who wanted to keep as many programs as possible available to the greatest number of students – sports, for example.
Parent Mario Castillo voiced his displeasure with potential cuts to Adult Ed, saying that the community invests thousands of dollars in organizations like the Valley of the Moon Teen Center and the Boys & Girls Club but very little in the parents of those students, many of whom take Adult Ed classes like English as a Second Language (ESL).
Britta Dobson, another parent, pointed out that for years, the school district has over-invested in the smallest number of students. “The middle segment of the student population has taken the biggest hit. For instance the school libraries which are used by the many,” said Dobson. “It is unfortunate when you have more needs that what you can pay for.”
The parent forum came on the heels of another meeting held by the school board the previous evening where trustees approved, in a four to one vote, to apply for federal Race to the Top (RTTT) funding. California’s share of the approximately $4.5 billion in federal monies is estimated to be $350 – $700 million.
The next school board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 6:30 p.m. at the Community Meeting Room, 177 First Street West.
