A series of study sessions began this week as Merced City School District board members, administrators, teachers and employee groups ponder how to deal with what may be a $9 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year.
Board of Education members have planned another study session Tuesday at Rivera Middle School and weekly get-togethers are planned throughout February and early March. The process began last Tuesday with a 90-minute meeting at Alan Peterson Elementary School in North Merced.
Assistant Superintendent Greg Spicer said school districts have to prepare budgets based on what's known now and can't assume voters will approve a November ballot initiative to improve school funding. If funding cuts are made, teachers must receive layoff notices by mid-March and support personnel pink slips by later that month.
"We have quite a gap," Spicer said. "It's not looking real friendly. We have to plan for a loss of revenue."
With Gov. Jerry Brown dropping funding for school bus transportation, the impact on the local district amounts to $1.4 million. State budget "triggers" may mean a loss of $370 per pupil in average daily attendance funding, another $3.7 million. About $1.9 million in federal jobs funding will be used up by June and the district dipped into its reserves for $2.1 million for the current fiscal year.
"That's a $9 million hole," Spicer said.
Board President Adam Cox termed Spicer's presentation Tuesday and other remarks "a little depressing."
"Any way you look at it it's not going to be good," Cox said. "We've cut so much in the past couple years but we haven't had to shorten the school year or do furloughs. We still have options -- but not pretty options."
Superintendent RoseMary Parga Duran said the budget picture is very gloomy-looking and fellow school superintendents throughout California face the same dilemma.
"We have to face harsh economic times for the next few years," Duran said. "Everyone's in the same boat across the state and I don't know when it will get better."
Spicer has characterized the budget process as open and transparent and said all stakeholders have a chance to get involved. Tuesday's Rivera study session begins with a public forum from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. executive (closed-door) session and then an open board meeting.
Board member Gene Stamm said he's concerned about transportation. About 4,000 of the 11,000 students in K-8 grades ride school buses.
Stamm said local schools aren't equipped to handle every student being dropped off at school by car. He said it's important all stakeholders understand the seriousness of the situation and the need to work together "for the good of the kids."
The prospect of furloughs or layoffs must be negotiated with employee unions. Stamm said the board can't base its decisions on whether Brown's ballot initiative will pass or fail in November.
"It's going to be a great big problem to find a solution and it doesn't look good," Stamm said.
Duran said what's proposed in the governor's November ballot initiative won't take care of all the funding problems facing education.
Reporter Doane Yawger can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or dyawger@mercedsunstar.com.
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