School Board Okays Record Budget

By Teresa Rochester

With less than 24 hours to meet a state-mandated deadline, the Board Education Thursday night adopted a record-setting $134.7 million budget for the next school year, despite concerns that new items were added to the document without board members' input.

Calling it a working document that will change, the board voted 5 to 2 to adopt the budget, which must be submitted to the county board of education by Friday, June 30.

Board members Julia Brownley and Dorothy Chapman voted against adopting the budget, saying that not enough information was provided on the new items, which include the hiring of two new teachers at schools with low enrollment.

The budget calls for the hiring of two new teachers at Malibu elementary schools Cabrillo and Point Dume to the tune of $125,398. Assistant Superintendent Joe Quarles said the teachers, one of whom has already been hired on a temporary basis, were budgeted in anticipation of increased enrollment at the two schools, which are currently under enrolled. Quarles assured the board the teachers could be let go at any time.

"We need some more clarity. We can't hire teachers in anticipation," said Brownley. "We did it last year and it didn't work."

Board member Brenda Gottfried, who voted for the budget, agreed with Brownley saying "that should probably have come out as part of the staff report. It shouldn't be glossed over. We need more public input. Sorry."

The biggest beneficiaries of the budget are facilities and child development, which will receive $44.6 million and $44.9 million respectively in restricted money. Revenues for the district's general fund are expected to total $71.8 million with expenditures coming in at $58.9 million.

The adopted budget also calls for:

· $1.3 million in general fund assistance for special education, which will help fill the gap between the money from the state and federal governments for the mandated program.

· $50,000 for increased educational services assessment testing.

· $50,000 for increased recruitment costs for senior administrative positions.

· $41,021 for one full-time educational services secretary.

· $31,349 for a part-time elementary music teacher.

· $30,000 for non-school office equipment.

The district is still waiting to learn whether it will be the beneficiary of an anticipated 13.1 percent hike in state money due to an increase in the cost of living and $3.8 million previously withheld from the district during the state's recession.

Art Cohen, superintendent of business and financial services, said the district will know how much it will get from the state in the upcoming weeks, pending approval of the its final budget. Once the state approves its budget the district has 45 days to make revisions. It is at that time that the board will begin to decide what school programs, ranging from technology to arts and athletics, will get coveted funding for improvements.

The district's final version of the budget for 2000-2001, which is still months away, will also heavily depend on actual school enrollment and teacher salary negotiations, which will begin in the early fall.