LVUSD hit hard byGov. Schwarzenegger





At last week’s special budget workshop, Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD) officials reiterated how the governor’s budget is adversely impacting local schools.

Donald Zimring, LVUSD interim superintendent, presented a report, “Politics Prevents Planning,” to school board members.

“A disappointing January governor’s budget has evolved into an even more disappointing May revision,” Zimring said.

He said the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) continues to be a sticking point for Gov.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wants the district to fund a portion of teacher pensions. The cost to California school districts would be about $469,000.

Zimring said that educators do not trust the governor. After reneging on the January “deal,” which suspended Prop. 98, a constitutional funding guarantee for schools, and “not even attempting to make it right in May,” demonstrates that the governor is out of touch with the priorities of most Californians.

Schwarzenegger pledged to protect Prop. 98, but now supports a plan “to blow it up,” said Zimring.

The governor has collected enough signatures to place an initiative on the ballot to weaken Prop. 98.

Zimring said the governor claims that the schools have received “$509,000 over-appropriation,” while administrators argue that they are due a 7.1 percent increase.

An increase in cost of living adjustments (COLA) was approved by Schwarzenegger, raising the rate to full funding. Zimring gave the analogy that the extra COLA money is like having a $1,000 tax refund due, but the government decides to pay only $100.

“The governor refuses to accept any kind of revenue change,” Zimring said. He said if Schwarzenegger had not repealed the vehicle licensing tax, the budget would be “structurally balanced.” The anticipated raise in “Average Daily Attendance” (ADA) funds to 5.31 percent was reduced by 1.46 percent due to the extra STRS costs. It will be further reduced if the governor’s proposal of shifting mental health costs for special education students to local schools.

Zimring said schools would receive $69 million that currently goes to county mental health agencies, but about $71 million in unfunded costs would strain school budgets. “The county mental health (proposal) is a real sleeping giant.

It could be a huge unknown cost to our district.” The Democrats’ plan in the Assembly proposes program reductions and a tax increase for the state’s wealthiest residents.

In the LVUSD, home schooling revenue is helping to bridge the budget shortfall. Zimring said that lottery estimates have increased by about $15 per ADA and that facility use revenue is up by about $75,000.

Measure E, the parcel tax initiative that was passed by voters last year, is about $100,000 over what was initially anticipated. The sum includes out-of-district donations.

Based on the “worst case scenario,” Zimring said that assistant principals for the middle schools will be reduced from four to three.

Two “dean” positions will be created to address students at risk and help with bullying and conflict resolution. The deans will travel between eight schools. A counselor or behaviorist might also be funded to help with at-risk students and reserve levels may be restored to 3 percent.

Zimring said there are many unknowns that might impact the school budget further, including a large increase in water bills up to $500,000 per year, stemming from new water regulations.

“We’ll take what we have, throw it up and put it in the right places,” said board of education trustee Cindy Iser of the budget.



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