Expenditure Reduction Proposals
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The document summarizes proposed expenditure reduction proposals for the Carlsbad Unified School District to address a $10.6 million budget deficit. It provides background on the district's financial situation and reviews previous cost-cutting efforts. Analysis teams then evaluated expenditure categories for potential reductions. Strong recommendations include eliminating administrative positions, reducing stipends and travel budgets, and savings from delaying the opening of a new school. Moderate recommendations are closing schools, eliminating classified roles, and reducing programs. The document estimates the projected savings from these actions could total $4.1-4.4 million.
Expenditure Reduction Proposals
- 1. Expenditure Reduction Proposals Devin Vodicka, Ed.D. November 9, 2011
- 2. Background Information • Carlsbad Unified School District faces a projected fiscal deficit of $10.6 million in 2012-13. • San Diego County Office of Education will re-evaluate district budget at First Interim to determine if the budget should be certified as positive, qualified, or negative. • First Interim Report is due December 15, 2011. • Qualified or negative certification results in decreased local autonomy.
- 3. Expenditure Reduction Efforts • Finding ways to save money has been an ongoing focus for years. • At least 73 strategies from “Doing More With Less: A Guide to Effective Resource Management in California K-12 Education” have already been implemented. • Class size has increased in grades 1-3. • K-6 Home Study program was eliminated. • General education Summer School was reduced (High School) and eliminated for grades K-8. • Deferred maintenance budget was reduced. • Site and department budgets have been reduced.
- 4. Reducing Expenses • Positions have been eliminated or vacated: • Director of Curriculum and Instruction • Admin Assistant—Language Assessment Center • English Language Development Resource Teacher • Instructional Aide—Computer Lab (two part-time positions) • Librarian (two part-time positions) • Executive Assistant, Business Services
- 5. Revenue Initiatives • Joint-use agreements • Rental/lease of district facilities • Selling surplus equipment and vehicles • Potential ballot initiatives in November 2012 • Unfortunate reality is that we can not yet “count” on these dollars
- 6. Expenditure Reduction Process • Governing Board action on October 12th placed eighteen different expenditure categories into one of three groups: • Strong potential for reduction • Moderate potential for reduction • Low potential for reduction
- 7. Expenditure Reduction Groupings Consideration for Reduction Expenditure Category Group 1: Strong Sage Creek Delay Reduce/Eliminate Admin/Management Reduce/Eliminate Stipends Employee Compensation Reductions Reduce/Eliminate Travel & Conference Reduce/Eliminate Site and Department Accounts Reduce Special Ed Reduce Textbook Expenses Group 2: Moderate Closing School(s) Reduce/Eliminate Classified Positions Reduce/Eliminate Athletics Reduce/Eliminate Contractual Reduce/Eliminate Programs Reduce Instructional Days Group 3: Low Increase Class Size—Elementary Increase Class Size—Middle Increase Class Size—High School Reduce/Eliminate Guidance
- 8. Analysis Teams • Convened to focus on expenditure categories in “Strong” or “Moderate” potential for reduction groups • Reviewed spending trends, current reality, and projections • Brainstormed ways to reduce expenses • Identified potential impact and additional considerations • Summary of Analysis Team input provided in Board Packet
- 9. Survey • Online survey launched on October 19, 2011 • 538 responses • 404 of the respondents were parents • Mixed feedback • Sage Creek Delayed Opening: • 56 respondents not in favor of any delay • 55 respondents were in support of delay • Strong support for reductions in travel/conference and admin/management • Unsolicited feedback regarding class size was prevalent with strong opposition to higher numbers
- 10. Proposed Expenditure Reductions Recommendation Item Description Projected Savings Total 8 Reduce Textbook Expenses $0 Take no action at this time 12 Reduce/Eliminate Contractual $0 N/A $289,576 per day in 14 Reduce Instructional Days employee costs 2 Eliminate 3 or more admin positions in 2012-13 $450,000 3 Reduce Middle School Village Leader stipends $15,702 Strong Recommendation for 5 Eliminate Travel and Conference $60,000 $1,529,702 Reductions 6 Reduce Site and Department Accounts $454,000 7 Reduce Special Education $530,000 11 Reduce Athletic Budget $20,000 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Sage Creek Delay $200,000 to $493,822 9 Closing schools $800,000 10a, 10b, 10c, Eliminate Classified Positions $952,221 Moderate Recommendation 10d, 10e $2,532,445 to for Reductions 13a, 13b, 13c, $2,826,267 13d, 13e, 13f, Eliminate Programs $580,224 13g, 13h, 13i, 13j, 13k, 13l $4,062,147 to Total $4,355,969
- 11. Take No Action • Reducing Textbook Expenses • Already cut to $20 per student • Significant complications due to Williams Settlement compliance • Potential possibilities in future with adoptions and new school openings • Reducing/Eliminating Contractual • Procedural changes may result in some savings • Reducing Instructional Days • Workyear must be negotiated through collective bargaining
- 12. Strong Recommendation for Reduction • Eliminate 3 or more administration positions. • Reduce number of Middle School Village Leader stipends. • Sweep travel and conference budgets and reduce allocations in 2012-13. • Reduce special education budget due to savings in Non-Public School (NPS) and Non-Public Agency (NPA) costs. • Reduce athletics budget by using less charter bussing, fewer substitutes and a reduced budget for playoff stipends.
- 13. Moderate Recommendation for Reduction • Review Sage Creek options • Closing Schools • Elimination of Classified Positions • Elimination of Programs
- 14. Sage Creek Options • 1a: Reduce start-up budget in 2012-13 and still open as scheduled in 2013-14 • Potential Savings in 2012-13: $200,000 • 1b: Delay opening until 2014-15 which shifts start-up costs to 2013-14 • Potential Savings in 2012-13: $493,822 • 1c: Move Calavera Hills Middle School to Sage Creek campus and use available space to balance elementary school enrollment • Potential Savings Unknown • 1d: Open Sage Creek at 6th-12th grade “school of choice” • Potential Savings Unknown
- 15. Closing School(s) • Recommend convening districtwide committee to determine best method to identify and implement closure of two schools and relocation of district office with intent to rent/lease as a strategy to generate revenue. • Committee would bring specific proposal for Board Approval in February 2012. School closures would be implemented in 2012-13. • Approximate savings of $400,000 per school closure.
- 16. Eliminating Classified Positions • 10a: Eliminate Instructional Assistant-Computer Lab and add one Computer Technician • 10b: Eliminate Guidance Technicians • 10c: Eliminate School Administrative Assistant—Assistant Principal (Valley) • 10d: Eliminate Accompanist (Valley) • 10e: Eliminate 4 district office positions TBD
- 17. Reduce/Eliminate Programs • 13a: Cal-Safe Program • 13b: School Resource Officers • 13c: Kontraband (drug sniffing dogs) • 13d: Add Up drug intervention program • 13e: Eliminate 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Campus Safety Assistant • 13f: Reduce Student Services Support Specialist from 1.0 FTE to .5 FTE • 13g: Reduce GATE Testing Expenses • 13h: Reduce Articulation and Curriculum Meetings • 13i: Reduce Schoolwise Press (School Accountability Report Cards) • 13j: Reduce Middle School Independent Study PE expenses • 13k: Provide for flexibility with Independent Study PE in grades 9-12 which would result in elimination of 1.0 FTE PE Teacher • 13l: Eliminate 1.0 FTE certificated librarian
- 18. Recommendation • Recognizing that the balance of any remaining projected fiscal deficit will need to be resolved through reductions in employee total compensation through the collective bargaining process, we recommend the following: • Taking no action on expenditure reduction items 8, 12, and 14. • Textbook expenses • Contractual services • Instructional days • Strong recommendation to approve expenditure reductions 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 11. • Administration positions • Middle School stipends • Travel and Conference • Site and department accounts • Special education budget • Athletic budget • Recommend discussion and selective actions on “Moderate Recommendation” items 1, 9, 10, and 13. • Sage Creek • School Closures • Classified Positions • Programs