School district braces for job, budget cutbacks

Las Virgenes Unified School District stands to lose $7.5 million in funding next year, according to a letter from Superintendent Donald Zimring to faculty, staff and parents at all 14 schools.

The reduction includes a $6.5million cut from state funds and a $1-million loss due to declining enrollment.

"To put this in perspective, the largest reduction our district ever had to face previously was $3.1 million," Zimring said in his letter.

California faces a $44-billion shortfall this year unless drastic measures are taken.

"We will need to consider reducing salary costs by reducing our work year as proposed by the governor," said Zimring, who added that "precautionary layoff notices" would be issued.

But Zimring pledged to protect the quality of programs in local schools by retaining "as many of the talented people who deliver those programs as we can."

The weak state and national economies will force the district to restructure and streamline many programs, he said.

"I believe it will require a strategic approach requiring us to look at the district as a whole, rather than previous approaches, which oftentimes pitted one program against another," Zimring wrote.

The first step in restructuring how the district operates will be to "maximize the use of attrition."

"All of us will have to pitch in and cover other duties when people leave or retire before we hire new positions," he said.

Reductions of administrative services have already begun, according to Zimring. Three parttime administrator jobs have been eliminated: director of educational technology, assistant director of maintenance and operations, and the principal's position at Indian Hills High School.

Other classified support jobs have been cut, and the district will delay hiring a replacement for Jim Nielsen, director of secondary education. Nielsen announced his retirement in December.

Dan Stepenosky, assistant superintendent of personnel, said the district is offering a $500 early retirement/resignation bonus. Employees must announce their retirement to the personnel office by Feb. 25, and some restrictions apply.

"We're trying to be creative during a tough situation," Stepenosky said.

Other costsaving methods include not replacing textbooks and not conducting standardized testing unless mandated by the state.

The state lifted some of the restrictions on how "categorical" money is spent. Categorical funds are specifically targeted for certain programs, such as school lunches or class size reduction.

The mandatory 20-1 ratio of students to teachers will be dropped, but the district will continue to provide smaller classes, "on average," at key grade levels, he said.

"Whenever possible we will reduce rather than eliminate key programs and services to better enable us to rebuild these programs and services when additional resources become available," Zimring said.

While construction projects already underway at Lindero Canyon Middle School and Calabasas High School will not be affected by the budget crisis, the plan to acquire another school site at the east end of the district in Calabasas will be postponed.

"One of the biggest dangers ahead is becoming part of the downward spiral of negativism and paralysis that our worsening economy has created," Zimring wrote. "By involving our parents and larger community, we can and will prevail."