School district readies for slower growth





A tepid California economy is translating into slower growth for the Oak Park Unified School District.

A June 1 board of education study session presented a sluggish growth outlook that includes less funding for the school district under Proposition 98, the law that requires the state to spend a minimum percentage of its budget on education.

Martin Klauss, OPUSD assistant superintendent, said a new state formula gives school districts more control over their finances, but that it comes with a price because the “supercharged increases” that once came from Sacramento are nearing an end.

In addition, Proposition 30, a tax increase that was passed in 2012 to give schools, Medi-Cal and early childhood programs a boost, will expire in 2018, reducing even further the amount of state money earmarked for local schools.

Prop. 30 ties school funding to the socioeconomic status of its students. Since Oak Park operates in a higher socioeconomic area with fewer low-income students, its funding from the state is reduced.

Oak Park’s 2016-17 school year budget is pegged at about $43.4 million.

A one-time contribution of about $1 million in state funds will help with the district’s current obligations, but Klauss said the $1 million is less than half of what the district received last year.

Talk of another recession worries administrators. Less tax revenue coming to the state means less money that can be doled out to schools.

Also pressuring the Oak Park school budget is a spike in the amount of money the district must contribute to employee salaries and retirement plans.

To prepare for future cuts, the district hopes to pad its reserve account. Oak Park has a 4-percent reserve, but officials want to boost it to more than 6 percent by next year.

Despite a cautious financial outlook, Oak Park still has a wish list to fulfill.

With successful middle and high school music programs in full swing, officials hope to launch an elementary school instrumental music program, but other programs might have to be cut. The district’s elementary Chinese language program could be on the chopping block.

Oak Park will be at almost full enrollment in the fall with some 4,600 students. Officials have been aggressive in recruiting out-of-district students to keep enrollment—and per capita revenue from the state—at the highest level.



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