Educators wondering how to make ends meet as state tightens funding

 

With the state looking at a $22 billion deficit in its budget, local educators are looking at ways to minimize the impact these cuts will have on their programs.

Education is slated to have its budget reduced, statewide, by $788 million in fiscal year 2001-02. This will include the elimination of funding for a number of programs and a significant reduction in funding for other programs.

“The outlook for education and the entire state budget for next year is not good,” says Yosemite Joint Union High School District Superintendent Bill McCabe. “We have been given an advance warning and it is prudent that we start looking for ways now to minimize the impact of these cuts.”

As one step in that direction, the district boards of trustees for YJUHSD and Minarets Joint Union High School District were scheduled to hold a joint meeting Tuesday, to investigate ways in which those two districts could work together. The boards of the Chawanakee Elementary School District and Coarsegold Elementary School District are also holding discussions.

Mr. McCabe is the district superintendent for Yosemite and Coarsegold; Dr. Phil Pendley is superintendent for Minarets and Chawanakee.

 

‘Recovery could take 2-7 years’

YJUHSD Director of Business Services Srini Vasan says the current state recession could last from two to seven years.

Mr. McCabe says the local school districts are fortunate because, “We have a choice. We can allow the future to drive our organization or we can drive our future through creative solutions.”

Benefits of a cooperative effort that could lead to the merging of YJUHSD and MJUHSD include a more stable enrollment and fiscal base, more program flexibility and options, cooperative rather than competitive efforts and an extension of the Minarets revenue limit to Yosemite.

Currently, the Minarets district receives $6,046 per student; Yosemite receives $5,355 per student.

“If our two districts join together, we would receive the higher revenue limit of $6,046 for all of the students. That is an increase of $691 per student at YHS which is a significant amount of money that would allow us to maintain our current programs even with the decline in state funding,” Mr. McCabe says.

 

Law changed in 1988

Starting in 1988, school districts in California were allowed to annex to other districts and to receive the higher revenue limit. A number of districts in the mountain area took advantage of that opportunity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The annexation process formed the current Bass Lake School District and the Chawanakee School District. Each of these current districts was formed through the annexation of several other small districts, raising the revenue limit of all of the schools.

At a recent Rural Education Summit that Mr. Vasan attended, a state representative urged small districts to join together to operate more efficiently.

A possible scenario for the joint venture:

n 2002-03 school year: Yosemite students receive inter-district transfers to by Minarets High School students. They would still attend classes at the YHS campus. Yosemite employees would take a leave of absence from YJUHSD and would be hired by the Minarets district. They would remain at the YHS campus. Minarets would lease the YHS facilities.

n 2003-04: Same as 2002-03.

n 2004-05: A new district is formed through a merger of Yosemite and Minarets through a public vote. A 51% majority vote would be required in both districts for the merger to take place.

The superintendents stress that the proposal will not change where students attend school or where the employees work. “The change is on paper,” Mr. McCabe says. “There is no intent to alter the present circumstances.”

He goes on to say that this seems like such a workable plan because the two districts share common educational goals, they have a common vision and they have the same priorities. The No. 1 priority for both districts, Mr. McCabe says, is to provide the best educational opportunities possible for all of the students.

“This joining together will allow us to continue to provide excellent programs for all of the students in the mountain area,” he says. “Without doing this, both districts will suffer.”

 

Timeline for venture

The proposed timeline for the joint venture starts with the joint board meeting earlier this week. If both boards are in agreement at that time that this is a win-win situation then by January 2002 there would be a draft proposal for the boards and the districts would begin work on a budget.

In March the two boards would vote to accept or reject the proposal. If the proposal was accepted, from April to June a transition plan would be developed and then in August 2002, the plan would take effect.

Mr. McCabe urges people to ask questions, offer solutions and to participate in the project. He can be reached at 683-8801 extension 348; or e-mail Mr. McCabe at bmccabeP_yosemiteuhsd.com or they can e-mail Mr. Vasan at sriniP_yosemiteuhsd.com

“It is very important that people let us know what their thoughts and concerns are,” Mr. McCabe says. “The Minarets district and our district are working hard to keep our educational programs in place during the challenging economic times ahead. We need to know what the public thinks because they may be asked to vote in a couple of years to merge the two districts.”