Plan saves $11M, but more cuts expected

Jesse B. Gill, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/10/2010 06:02:41 AM PST

REDLANDS – The Redlands Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to vote on deep budget cuts Tuesday.

The board will vote on the first round of cuts of a budget reduction plan – to the tune of $11.68 million.

“Implementation will be difficult because of the impact on our schools,” said Board of Education President Neal Waner.

A district budget reduction plan includes layoffs of more than 62 teachers, nine classified employees, and one management employee, the elimination of the district’s Adult Education program and the elimination of home-to-school bus transportation for high school students.

Because of the diminishing trickle of state education funding, the board has had little choice but to approve the cuts.

Before voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978, school districts were responsible for generating and distributing their own funding locally, said Board of Education member Pat Kohlmeier. The proposition took power away from the districts, who have relied on the state for their funding ever since.

And when state legislators cut back on education funding – like they have in each of the last three years – districts have to make cuts to balance their budgets, regardless of the impact to classrooms.

“The frustrating part is what it does to our students,” Kohlmeier said.

“There is no rational relations between what schools are obligated to provide and the amount of funding that comes from the state.”

And the $11.68 million in cuts will only be the beginning.

The district is prepared to cut up to another $20 million – on top of the $11.68 million – after the the new state budget is adopted.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger previewed parts of his education proposal during his State of the State address Wednesday. He pledged to protect California’s public schools and colleges. But Kohlmeier isn’t convinced that the governor’s pledge will shield local school districts from feeling the pain.

“I’m taking a wait-and-see attitude,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we won’t be hit.”

The district won’t have a full picture of exactly what the new state budget will be because of the budget’s complexity, Waner said.

“Will we have some information on Tuesday? Yes,” Waner said. “Will we have the exact numbers? No.”

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