Board of Education Tackles Record Budget

By Teresa Rochester

Charged with delivering a balanced budget to the state by June 29, the Board of Education Wednesday began wading through a record-setting proposed 2000-2001 budget, which includes $134.7 million in expenditures.

The largest chunks of money that will be spent will come from restricted funds, including $44.6 million for facilities and $4.9 million for child development. General fund revenues are expected to total $71.8 million with expenditures coming in at $58.9 million.

The district is anticipating a 13.1 percent jump in state revenues courtesy of an increase in cost of living money and $3.8 million previously withheld from the district during the state's recession. Local revenues, including parcel tax and lease revenue, are also anticipated to increase.

"This is by and large the largest budget this district has ever adopted," said Assistant Superintendent Art Cohen, who handles the district's finances.

The budget calls for $95,000 for the creation of a public information officer, $29,976 for a computer technician to work half a year and $6,949 for the district's vehicle replacement program.

Thanks to the district's deeper pockets some positions eliminated during the January 1999 budget shortfall also are set to be revived, according to the proposed budget, for a total of $388,500. Some of the positions include an administrative assistant, two utility custodians and a custodial supervisor.

Required by law to have a three percent reserve in case of economic hardship, Cohen told the board that they can expect to have $7.6 million in excess reserve. Last winter as the school district faced a potential multi-million dollar shortfall the district's bare minimum reserve became of focal point of community criticism.

A portion of the district's proposed general fund budget will go to fill the gap between money from the state and federal government for mandated programs -- such as special education and English as a Second Language -- and the actual cost of the programs.

One item not included in the proposed budget is the amount the district will have to spend to find replacements for its two highest administrative positions. Supt. Neil Schmidt is set to retire in June of 2001and Cohen is expected to do the same even though he has not yet submitted his resignation.

Schmidt said recruiting his and Cohen's replacements may run close to $50,000 and the number will appear in a revised version of the budget.

Other items left out the proposed budget due to the state next month that the board is being asked to consider are:

· Increased time for the assistant principal at Grant Elementary
· A secretary for Education Services
· Sending representatives from Lincoln Middle School to Washington D.C. for its Blue Ribbon
· Standard and Assessment testing
· A choral accompanist at Santa Monica High School
· An elementary music teacher
· Two three hour music aides at SAMO High and Malibu High School
· And departmental equipment.

With the district's final budget for 2000-2001 still months in the future and heavily dependent on the state's final budget, actual school enrollment and teacher salary negotiations, board members were asked to consider improvements to district programs -- areas left untouched in the budget put before the board Wednesday night.

"We haven't enhanced any programs," said Cohen.

Some of the unmet program needs for the board to consider after July 1 include a part-time grant writer, two custodians, a gardener and District Advisory Council-recommended improvements to technology, fine arts, sports and physical education and community health and safety.

Cohen told the board the district needs additional custodians in light of the fact that it will have the equivalent of two elementary schools worth of new classrooms opening up next year as a result of Proposition X funding.

"We just can't spread around our cleaning any further," said Cohen, adding that another gardener is necessary as well. "We're going to need that one and we're going to need more with our play field upgrades."

Board members were also presented with a detailed list of unmet programmatic needs that outlined descriptions of the needs, approximate costs and whether or not the item has already been recommended for the proposed budget.

Some of the items include increased music staff, elementary school art specialists, ten credentialed elementary librarians, literacy specialists, a science lab at Olympic High School and certificated physical education teachers.

Upon seeing the detailed list board member Dorothy Chapman was gleeful.

"I don't even care if the numbers are right. This is great," said Chapman. "To see programs and goals tied to numbers… this is great."