San Juan Unified to Discuss Third Round of Budget Cuts Tonight

Tonight, the Board of Education will review the district’s second interim financial report, which details updated budget projections including nearly $36 million in expenditure reductions. The reductions will allow the district to end its pattern of deficit spending, officials said.

The meeting, which is the third to deal with budget cuts, will take place at at 6:30 p.m. in the board room of the district office, 3738 Walnut Ave., Carmichael.

In its the school district voted Feb. 8 to reduce its budget by $7.2 million and eliminate dozens of school counselors, librarians, teachers and other administrators. In , the school district voted to cut $11.5 million in expenditures by ending adult education programs and school bus service to most of the district’s students.

The district has spent more money than it has taken in during the current and last fiscal year to offset state budget cuts. Using the district’s ending fund balance (savings account) and federal stimulus dollars, the district was able to keep employees working in support of students. However, both the ending fund balance and federal stimulus funds are one-time in nature and cannot continue to support a pattern of deficit spending, officials said.

The $36 million in reductions include all expenditure cuts included in Phase I, II, and III budget recommendations that have been announced in December, February, and March respectively. A full list of all reductions can be viewed beginning on page 59 of the Second Interim Financial Report or by visiting www.sanjuan.edu/budget .

The second interim financial report, with its nearly $36 million in reductions, presents a best-case scenario and assumes that ’s proposed state budget will be approved and that voters will extend already existing temporary taxes in a special election. If the election should fail, the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office is predicting that California’s K-12 schools could be cut between $2 and $5 billion resulting in San Juan Unified needing to find an additional $13.6 - $35 million in reductions., officials said

Included in tonight’s presentation to the board, will be discussion of possible contingency plans should the election not be placed on the ballot or if voters do not approve the extension of existing temporary taxes. The contingencies will focus on working with district employee groups to find additional expenditure reductions through the collective bargaining process.