District budget cuts itemized

Mike Swanson

The school board agreed unanimously, but with seeming discomfort to

approve an interim budget strategy that rescinds 52 of 56 layoff

notices issued last month and includes a detailed account of what the

budget doesn’t include.

Unlike past reports, the current strategy itemizes the expenses,

like computer repair and landscaping maintenance, left out of the

2003-04 budget.

“This budget is only for next year,” board clerk El Hathaway said.

“If nothing changes in Sacramento, then the following year’s budget

will look even worse.”

Board members and parents in attendance at the Wednesday meeting

struggled most with whether a budget including such cuts made running

the schools possible. Assistant Supt. Norma Shelton, who put the

budget together, wasn’t enthused with what’s there, but doesn’t think

it’s impossible to run on.

“This is definitely not a comfortable budget,” Shelton said.

Board member Bob Whalen had the hardest time accepting landscaping

maintenance as something that can logically be left out of the

budget. He cited El Morro Elementary’s field as a prime example.

“You can’t spend millions of dollars on new fields and then not

maintain them,” Whalen said. “That just doesn’t make any sense.”

Shelton and Supt. Theresa Daem said the budget doesn’t make as

much sense as it should, but it’s as sensible as possible considering

the circumstances.

“It feels a bit strange accepting a plan that we all hope won’t go

into place,” Board member Jan Vickers said.

Daem said the four layoff notices not rescinded concerned

part-time employees who would not have been retained under normal

circumstances.