School District Budget Approved

The Martinez Unified School District Board unanimously approved a $28 million budget for the 2011-2012 year on Monday night, but all eyes continue to look toward Sacramento, as state legislators continue to wrangle over a state budget.

The local budget was put together on the assumption that a series of state tax extensions will be approved by voters. Legislators have been unable to agree to put those extensions on the ballot. A deal is now in the works to pass a state budget with only Democratic votes, that would assume $4 billion in extra revenue, with no additional taxes.

Until a budget is actually in place, however, the district is unsure if further cuts will be necessary.

Because funding from the state is expected to remain at last year's levels, teachers and other district employees will be picking up any increased costs in health care again this year, said Chief Budget Official Liz Robbins. Employees absorbed a seven percent increase in health benefits last year. The size of this year's increase won't be known for another month, she said.

The district has cut over $4 million from its budget over the past two years. There were no major employee cuts this year, she said. However, class size has increased and teachers will take two furlough days this budget year. One of those days covers the increased cost of health benefits. 

But the big question is the state budget, and whether the sales tax extensions will be approved. If they are, the district will move forward as planning with this year's budget. If they are not, Robbins said there has been $1.3 million set aside to cover the addtional cuts that would be likely to occur.

That cut amounts to about $300 per student.

However, if the worst-case scenario happens, and Prop. 98 is suspended, cuts would deepen to triple that amount, or $800 per student. Prop. 98, approved in 1988, requires the state to spend 40 percent of its budget on education.

"That would be very devastating," Robbins said. "We hope that doesn't happen, but hope is not a strategy."