San Juan Unified Board to Consider Budget Cuts

Some adult education advocates are breathing sighs of relief at news the Board of Education will consider a recommendation to keep a school for developmentally-disabled adults open when it considers budget cuts at a Carmichael meeting on Tuesday.

The board of education will take action on staff recommendations to eliminate adult education, non-mandated home-to-school transportation and K-3 class size reduction during its meeting at 3738 Walnut Ave. at 6:30 p.m. 

As a modification to the adult education recommendation, district staff members will present a memorandum of understanding that would allow Orange Grove Adult School to continue operations for one year with funding from Alta Regional Center.

An earlier proposal to the board would have severed district ties to Orange Grove, a school of more than 200 students west of American River College. Orange Grove supporters would have had to scramble to find outside funding, but now have been given more time.

"When (news of Orange Grove remaining open) was announced at a Friday assembly, the students were elated and some were crying," said Joyce Fletcher, a Carmichael mother of two daughters--Leslie, 45, and Valeda, 33-- who are students at Orange Grove. "We parents are excited about the decision."

The three recommendations were announced Dec. 3 and were followed by a series of public meetings to allow for community dialogue. Together, the three recommendations will save the district $11.5 million, slightly less than one-third of the total $35.5 million in reductions needed for 2011-12, officials said.

’s recently-released state budget will result in the need to reduce expenses by an additional $730,000 for next year, if approved. Should voters not approve temporary tax extensions proposed by Brown, district leaders would need to reduce next year’s budget by an estimated $13.9 million, bringing total reductions needed for 2011-12 to just under $50 million, officials said.

The Sacramento County Office of Education, which reviews school district budgets, has indicated districts should prepare two budget plans for 2011-12: one for if the tax extension passes and one for if the extension fails.

San Juan Unified has lost $30 million in unrestricted funding in recent years, which makes the proposed cuts necessary, district officials said. The district is spending down its fund balance by more than $50 million and spending $37 million in federal stimulus funds, but will not have those funds in future years.

District officials have said maintaining K-12 education is a priority for the district, which serves more than 40,000 students in 70 schools and special education centers, preschools, and adult education programs in Sacramento County, including Carmichael and Fair Oaks.

An overflow crowd at a Jan. 11 district meeting included parents and students from Orange Grove dressed in orange shirts. Those who spoke repeated the quality of education for students.

"The school is phenomenal; it's extraordinary and unique," said Tim Blaine, another Carmichael parent whose son Nick, 22, is mentally disabled and attends Orange Grove. "My son enjoys that it's a school...and there are activities he appreciates."

Fletcher said parents will be out to show their support for Orange Grove again at Tuesday night's meeting.

"There's not another program like it," she said.