Los Alamitos Unified School District Braces for Worst Budgetary Conditions Ever

The 2011-12 school is shaping up to be the Los Alamitos Unified School District’s toughest financial year on record, with potential cuts of $3.28 million, district officials said this week.

A crippling economy, coupled with the possibility of fewer taxes to fund the district, could mean a loss of $3.28 million to the district’s already tight budget. This potential loss could mean more cuts such as those already implemented, including reductions among administrative staff, school counselors, health clerks, payroll staff, transportation and grounds staff. Already cut programs in subjects such as arts will remain eliminated, said Superintendent Gregory A. Franklin.

According to Franklin, the 2011-12 school year will bring “by far the worst economic conditions” in the district’s history.

In the past several years, the district has made changes and cut several programs and positions to help ease the budget shortfalls. Some of these changes and cuts include increasing class sizes, reducing the school year by six days and enacting furlough days and eliminating teacher specialists and credentialed librarians. Despite these measures, the district will again have to make difficult decisions next year because the economic outlook continues to be bleak.  

Last month, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed two versions of his proposed 2011-12 state budget. Both versions intend to close a budget gap of about $25 billion between revenues and expenditures. The difference between the budgets is a tax extension that voters would have to approve in a special election on June 7. However, in order to have a special election, the Legislature needs to agree to put the measure on the ballot.

If voters decide to go through with the tax extension, the financial consequences for the LAUSD will not be so drastic; the district would lose approximately $21 per student, totaling around $200,000.  If voters decide not to go through with the tax extension, the financial consequences would be more severe; the district would lose approximately $351 per student, totaling around $3.28 million. Last year’s budget totaled $90,788,054.

The district is in what Franklin calls a “waiting game,” but, either way the budget goes, the district is still going to lose money. Thanks to the Los Alamitos Unified School District’s frugal school board, three years' worth of reserve funds will be used to ease some of the financial tension during the next school year, said Franklin.

“The reserve is for economic uncertainty, and this certainly qualifies,” Franklin said.
Another way that the district is dealing with less funding is through the efforts of parents and families.

At McGaugh Elementary School, Project SEEK (Seeking Excellence in Education for our Kids) has allowed students to maintain some of the people and programs that would otherwise be cut. Project SEEK is composed of parents who raise funds throughout the year to pay for the school’s credentialed art teacher, media center and two media center teachers and computer lab aides. Each year, the group raises money for the following year in order to “forward fund” the positions and media center. This year, the foundation had to raise $120,000, and it is already working toward obtaining the funds for the following year.

“These programs that we’ve been raising money for are invaluable for our kids, and they deserve to have them as part of their education,” said Christy Berg, president of Project SEEK.

Throughout the year, Project SEEK hosts a variety of fundraising events, such as a silent-auction dinner, a dance, gift-wrap sales, dessert sales and a general donation drive. Berg said the fundraising events are varied so that all families can participate.

“Maybe they can’t go to the silent auction, but they can buy $20 worth of desserts so they can feel like they gave something to the school,” she said.

Both Franklin and Berg expressed concern that such an effort has to be made in order to maintain a comprehensive education.

“It’s getting to a point where parents are going to have to pay out of pocket to get their children to get the kind of education they expect,” Berg said.

For now, though, the district has no other options, they said.

“I think it’s really sad, and it’s a sign of the times,” Franklin said.