Burlingame Schools Call For Community Support in Hard Financial Times

The school board highlighted the need for community support during its meeting last night as it continued prioritizing a list of potential budget cuts for the 2011-2012 school year while discussing with the Burlingame Community Education Foundation (BCE) how they can work together to save jobs and programming as the district enters unchartered financial territory.

“We are far from a typical year,” said interim Superintendent Jud Kempson. “If the state cuts further into the budget [we need to look at] restructuring BCE programs and diverting some of that money towards…the shortfall in our budget. We need BCE to consider that request.”

BCE representatives said after their fundraising meets the obligations of programs they routinely fund—such as music, physical education and library—they are happy to help the schools maintain small class sizes and work together to make ends meet. The school board is currently looking at slashing $800,000 from the 2011-2012 budget.

The BCE has even teamed up with Burlingame School District's PTAs for the Game On! Campaign, which aims to raise an additional $500,000 for bridging the gap created by state budget cuts.

While applauding the fundraising efforts, board trustee Liz Gindraux said she thought more permanent solutions were needed than fundraising.

“I just think it’s not a long term solution for us,” she said. “I’m concerned about the precedent we’re setting…to fundraise for class size this year sets us up to have to fundraise for class size next year.”

She expressed concern over burning out volunteers and community support if the district entered the cycle of fundraising year after year without permanent solutions, such as figuring out what positions and programs Burlingame students can live without.

While trustee Greg Land agreed that more permanent solutions are necessary, he saw the new Game On! fundraising initiative as a means of educating the community about the budget.

“Because of our success, we’ve not really faced the cuts that the surrounding districts have faced,” he said. “I think it’s an illusion that every is just fine.”

He said Game On! will raise community awareness about the role they can play in helping Burlingame schools.

Board Vice President Michael Barber also noted that the community—not the state—is where change is capable of taking place, especially in the face of deeper budget cuts expected over the next few years.

“People have been going up to Sacramento since 1979,” he said. “It’s not doing anything.”

Trustee Davina Drabkin suggested the board have another discussion on how all the community-based elements—from proposed parcel taxes and bond measures to fundraisers—fit together for both short term and long term financial solutions.

While agreeing on five areas of cost reduction, the board remains far from slashing the $800,000 necessary to stabilize the budget.

Board members agreed they could do away with the Kohl Mansion music program, a staff development day and one night custodian. They also plan on replacing the sub caller, which organizes substitute teacher assignments, with an automated system and switching all call systems. However, these reductions together total savings of only $116,500.