School District Adopts Budget Without Pay Cuts

The Murrieta Valley Unified School District adopted its 2011-2012 Fiscal Year budget on time Thursday, unlike the State of California.

The good news for teachers is that it was approved without the 5.28 percent salary reduction.

That's because the budget--one with $162.9 million in expenditures but $150.4 million in revenue--was calculated based off Gov. Jerry Brown's May revision and financial projections from School Services of California.

"However, until we get a budget (from the state), July paychecks will reflect the salary concessions," said Stacy Coleman, assistant superintendent of fiscal services.

"With the May revise, we don't have the basis to make these cuts," said Superintendent Stan Scheer. "The way our (labor) agreements are set up, if the money is there we go with it. But it is still up in the air."

Coleman explained that the governor's proposal keeps funding at the same level as last year. And with the proposed tax extensions, the $330 less per student forecasted by the district would not occur.

That expected shortfall prompted the district and its bargaining units to initially agree to terms without the tax extensions, in the event they weren't passed, with recovery language built in.

"There are some concerns with this (governor) proposal. It is going to require two-thirds vote from the Legislature, or two-thirds vote from the public, and neither of those have happened," Coleman said.

"And even at $330 less per student they would also have to suspend Prop 98, which would also require a two-thirds vote," Coleman said. "So where does that leave us? I don't know...but I think we are well-positioned."

Prop 98, passed in 1988, calls for a minimum percentage of the state budget to be spent on education. Education typically takes 40 percent of the budget.

Coleman said the news out of Sacramento was that a budget would be passed by the Legislature this weekend. Legislators are working without pay after failing the June 15 deadline and the governor's veto of the budget, which Brown said took too much from education funding.

Scheer said because the majority of the 10 furlough days taken by staff were positioned at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, it will be simple to add them back should the shortfall ultimately not occur.

School was set to begin Aug. 11 and end four days sooner on May 31.

Coleman said by June 30, the district will have spent all its one-time funds, but that it will still come out with its necessary three-percent reserve at the end of this Fiscal Year.

A lot of that is due to good stewardship, Coleman and Scheer agreed. Four years ago, employees agreed not to take cost-of-living increases, which both agreed has gotten the district through these lean budget years.

Scheer, who just completed his fifth year as superintendent, has never taken a pay raise. He started out making $186,000 and now makes $171,000, which includes a 7.25 pay cut taken in the current Fiscal Year.

"I have gone down 23 percent instead of the 16 percent growth I should have had," Scheer said. "But I'm not sitting around whining about it. I'm happy to have a job."

"I am most appreciative that the staff has stayed on top of this these last four years," he said.

Coleman likened the amount of cuts taken by the district in the last four years to closing the entire district down for one year.