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Fruitvale board approves layoff plan

BY JORGE BARRIENTOS, Californian staff writer
jbarrientos@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Mar 09 2010 09:35 PM

Last Updated Wednesday, Mar 10 2010 09:45 AM

Two of Kern County's larger school districts on Tuesday avoided large-scale layoffs next school year to close state budget gaps, but one of its smaller and highest performing districts wasn't so lucky.

Fruitvale School District's school board, during its school board meeting Tuesday night, accepted a proposal to lay off four elementary teachers, a district clerk, two custodians, five special education aides, three library clerks and a few others.

It's yet another hit for the Rosedale-area district, with 3,200 students and about 150 teachers, as it closes a $1 million budget gap next school year. The district has cut nearly $2 million in the last few years in which music programs, physical education and staff have already been hit hard, Superintendent Carl Olsen said.

"There's not a single cut any of us want to make," Olsen told a somber room full of district teachers and employees. "This is as bad as it gets."

Meanwhile, the Kern High School District and Panama-Buena Vista Union School District also met Tuesday but didn't lay off any teachers because of budget demands.

The district meetings came before a Monday deadline for districts to announce whether they'll send out pink slips -- layoff warnings -- to certificated staff and teachers next school year.

Both districts made cuts in past years that helped them deal with having less state money next year and beyond. KHSD's cuts to custodial security and other staff in the last two years, for example -- plus use of leftover federal aid from this year -- have provided a cushion, high school officials said.

The governor's budget is asking KHSD to operate with $8.7 million less next year. But several years ago the district saw how dire the state's financial situation was and acted in a way that "we're in a good enough shape this time," district spokesman John Teves said.

However, KHSD decided Tuesday to give pink slips to 19 teachers next year because of school boundary changes, not for budget reasons, said Bill Jones, assistant superintendent of personnel. They will be put at the top of a rehire list.

Last year, the district issued 80 such pink slips, and 90 the year before that. All except one of those employees -- who rejected a part-time job -- were rehired, Jones said.

Panama-Buena Vista did not announce any teacher layoffs either, but officials have said they still expect to make other school-related cuts. Last March, facing a $3.5 million deficit, Panama-Buena Vista issued 77 teacher layoff notices.

Fruitvale joins other local school districts who have decided in recent weeks to issue notices.

The Bakersfield City School District recently proposed to cut 120 full-time equivalent positions as it tries to close a $5.5 million shortfall in next year's budget. BCSD has lost roughly $25 million from its budget in the last two years, and relied on hefty reserves to make up the difference.

Greenfield Union School District, which will discuss possible layoffs at a meeting Wednesday night, asked teachers in an initial proposal to take an 11.5 percent pay cut to help prevent layoffs and save $2.5 million.

So why are some districts proposing layoffs, some year after year, while others are in the clear?

All district's have unique problems, said Mark Fulmer, assistant superintendent of administration and finance services for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Each district's size, number of teachers and ability to be flexible with funds also play a role, he said.

"They're all dealing with the same governor's budget but what's different is the resources they have to deal with it," Fulmer said. "It's district by district, board by board."

KHSD is using reserves and leftover federal stimulus money from last school year to make up for receiving millions less in state funds, said Superintendent Don Carter.

Fruitvale, on the other hand, is dealing with fewer students and diminished reserves. During Tuesday's meeting, the school board approved to borrow $5 million from the county, called a tax and revenue anticipation note, or TRAN. It's the first time ever the district has asked for one.

Money and positions saved through retirements and job shares have helped lessen the blow a bit, administrators said. Still, cuts to staff and operations are anticipated to meet budget demands, much to the dislike of district officials, employee union representatives -- who held signs that read, "Save our schools," -- and school board members.

"I don't know what we'd do if it got any worse," said board clerk Richard Traynor. "This is bad."