Santa Rosa may cut school year, spring sports
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010 at 6:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 8, 2010 at 6:28 p.m.
Santa Rosa's school board Wednesday will consider cutting three days from the upcoming school year, along with eliminating spring sports and more than seven librarians, in a quest to save $5.6 million.
The county's largest school district expects to save more than $1.3 million if it shortens the school year by three days. It is the largest item in the district's debate over how to cut the $5.6 million from its $88.2 million general fund.
That cut is subject to negotiation with affected employee unions and has yet to be agreed to by the Santa Rosa Teachers Association, for which three fewer work days would translate to a pay cut of about 1.5 percent.
“We're close but we don't have a tentative agreement,” said Dan Evans, president of the teachers' union. “They (the board) are going to have to do something with a qualified vote.”
Board members long have warned that without a shortened school year even deeper cuts would be imminent.
“I really hope we get the three days as we are planning,” trustee Tad Wakefield said.
Melodee Bettman, president of the California School Employees Association Chapter 75, said her 321 voting members, which include front office and food service employees, have been pushing for fewer school days for months.
“I wish we would have started this this year, I think it would have been helpful,” she said. “We have been for it from the get-go pretty much. Our members have seen the urgency for this.”
The 70 members of the CSEA chapter that represents warehouse and maintenance workers also have long pushed cutting school days.
“The CSEA said if it saves one person's job, we'll do it,” said Mike LaPointe, chapter president.
Even if all affected parties agree to the shorter school year, jobs will be lost.
The district's proposal calls for cutting 7.6 librarian jobs and instituting one position to oversee the district's entire library system. Classified staff employees would staff libraries under the plan.
“You would lose a lot of services to students — the kids doing research,” said board member Larry Haenel. “These people are very highly trained, these media specialists ... they are very effective. I hate to see them moved out of the library.”
Evans called the library vote “a big concern” for the teachers' union, which also represents librarians and counselors.
“Once you eliminate a position, it never comes back. It is very, very difficult,” he said. “They provide a vital service for students and also support for teachers.”
The proposal to eliminate spring 2011 sports, including track, swimming and baseball, would affect middle and high schools and would save $250,000. The cut would fall on spring athletics because, procedurally, it would be too difficult to cut fall sports, said Associate Superintendent Doug Bower.
But all sports would be considered for potential cuts in the 2011-2012 school year when $4.7 million more is expected to have to be cut, officials said.
But officials have said spring sports in 2011 may get a reprieve if an energy savings plan and a revamped food services push achieve enough savings and earnings, respectively to offset the cut.
The future of springs sports likely will go back before the board sometime around May to see if those programs are working, Bower said.
“Ultimately, a decision on springs sports would be late this year, based on monitoring of the energy and meal program,” he said.
Among the other cuts being considered Wednesday:
--Eliminating the assistant principal position at Comstock Middle School to save $97,000.
--Closing the International Baccalaureate program at Slater Middle School and the ninth- and 10th-grade International Baccalaureate program at Montgomery High to save $60,000.
--increasing high school class sizes from 28 students to 29, which would eliminate seven teaching positions and save $455,000.
District officials are recommending that class sizes for kindergarten through third grade remain at 22 students and that elementary computer, arts and music programs stay in place through a prep period for classroom teachers.
Officials also are proposing that class sizes at the district's three alternative high schools be increased from about 19 students to 23 per teacher to pull in state attendance dollars and to offset the need to close the campuses or increase class sizes to 28 students.
Staff writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blog at extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. She can be reached at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com
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