Question #2: What solutions do you propose to deal with shrinking educational budgets, shortfalls and salary issues?

November 2nd you will be able to vote for THREE candidates

Dave Wilde: If you are following how districts around the nation, state, and county are solving the growing budget issues it becomes obvious that all are using similar solutions. The most widely used are; reducing the length of the school year, increasing class size, and reduction of staff. There are no magic ideas to solve this problem. Until officials in government place a higher priority on public education this problem will continue. Our country depends on the education of our young people. It is what will allow us to continue to be the strongest in the world. With that in mind you take what ever money is available and what you can get and continue in the effort to provide the best possible education you can. Schools do produce a product and that product is young people who are prepared to lead fulfilling and successful lives. If moving monies around and adjustments in the school budget do not address the problems then cuts in staff may be necessary. It is then we must keep instruction at the highest priority.

Salaries were also part of this question. During recent budget short falls I have not heard one comment from a certificated or classified staff member concerning an increase in salary. They are all aware of the problems and working with the district to deal with this budget crisis. Salaries are important. Higher salaries allows the district and school sites to find the best staff they can to contribute to the education of our Fillmore students.

Lucy Rangel: Some of my proposed solutions to this week’s question are as follow:
1. Stop creating new management or administrative positions.
2. If a new position is needed, it should be for a grant writer whose major responsibility would be to find monies available for teacher resources and educational programs.
3. Stop funds from being spent on attorneys and consultants. We have functioned without them in the past by showing mutual respect for one another and by acting in good faith.
4. We need to focus on maintaining our ADA (average daily attendance). We do this by working with and having better communication with parents especially with those whose children are being suspended and with parents who are removing their children from our district. Irregular attendance affects the lottery money and Special Education funds we receive. Maintaining our enrollment generates more revenue for our district.
5. Everyone should know that teachers are given about $100 for classroom supplies for the entire year. They can’t do their best without supplies. Let’s start a campaign to help them!
6. Regarding salary issues, it is important to have a trusting and working relationship with certificated, classified, confidential, and management employees. It is important that all groups be a part of the solution and share in any further cuts that may need to happen.
All aspects of society are dealing with the issue of doing more with less money. In these difficult times I know that our community can come together as a “team” for our most valuable asset – our children!

Tony Prado: Regarding school Board Question #2:
In these tough economic times a school board needs to operate at its best. I believe I can contribute in building and supporting an effective school board that will keep it efforts focused on student learning. As a Board member I believe it is important to develop strategic goal planning. Working with other Board members, the Superintendent, and his staff, the board needs to identify budget priorities. Then the Board needs to develop appropriate processes for budget development and be able to adopt and if necessary, as it usually is in these tough economic times, revise the budget.

Every Board member has the responsibility to listen and gather input from teachers, classified employees, and parents regarding the finances of the district. Board members need to look at what other districts are doing and see how it might help our district. School districts across the state and the nation are experiencing educational budget cuts. When the economy recovers it is essential to restore the school days and the salaries that were reduced.

The economy in California is in bad shape. The revenue school districts receive is less every year. This school year will be the same. There is no simple or easy solution. But as a Board member I will focus the available resources in a manner least impacting our students.

As a Board member I will help establish board policy, not administer. I will be one of 5 Board members working to build a team and providing leadership.

Kim Rivers: With the cuts our District has experienced serious changes need to be made in FUSD. The Board needs to examine all costs and examine what benefit our students actually receive from those expenses. First, I would examine all consulting fees, and eliminate all ineffective expenses in that area. How much is being spent on paying consultants when that work should be done by our current administration? Then we would need to analyze and evaluate all administrative pay packages (ALL of them). Administrator compensation plans have gone up every year without any evaluation of their affect on the level of school performance. How can we give raises to administrators when our schools are failing the state minimum standards year after year? This needs to change. Salary increases for administration must be tied to improvement in our schools. If barely 30% of our students in all categories are proficient (meeting the minimum standards) the Superintendent’s contract renewal clauses should reflect this dismal performance.

Most (or as) importantly, the District must stop cutting the salaries, supply budgets and hours of our dedicated teachers and hard working classified employees. Every aspect of our economy, culture and society depends on our children receiving the best education WE can provide. Education is the key to OUR future. Therefore, our Community should not accept anything less than excellence. www.votekimrivers.com

Mark Austin: California is struggling with budget issues that have resulted in less money being provided to the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD). So the existing FUSD school board decided what reductions to make as part of the 2010-2011 Annual Budget. Well the school board decided that the best way to balance the budget was to reduce a teacher’s ability to provide a quality education. In addition, the school board reduced important student time in the classroom. Expenses were reduced by – reducing the work year for teachers (5-day reduction in student instruction) – increasing classroom size - and reducing health care benefits for employees.
While this may not be a popular answer to some people, the school board should deal with future shrinking budgets and shortfalls by carefully examining the number of upper management and administration staff positions in the FUSD. The school board should examine the existing salaries and capabilities of each upper management and administrative position. These positions currently account for approximately $1.9 million in general fund expenditures. Since budget reductions have already been done at the teacher and student levels, common sense would dictate, that the next round of budget reductions would come at these levels. To reduce the budget, there would need to be either salary reductions and/or the elimination of some positions. In addition, the salary levels for all upper management and administrative staff should be frozen with no cost of living adjustments (COLA) until the economy has recovered.

Please visit my website at http://www.votemarkaustin.com