Office of the Superintendent
(415) 945-3720

LETTER TO STAFF, PARENTS & COMMUNITY (20-Mar-2003)

TO: Board of Trustees, Staff & Community
FROM: BILL LEVINSON
DATE: March 20, 2003
SUBJECT: Fiscal Update

The following new information is available regarding the District’s fiscal situation:

Current Year 2002-2003 Budget: The Governor signed SBX1 18, the special session bill that enacts the mid-year cuts and deferrals. The Governor was not pleased with the bill (see his message) but signed it nonetheless. As it is an “urgency” bill, it is effective immediately.

The current year budget cuts will reduce the revenue for the Tam District General Fund by about $274,000. The reductions include deferrals (mandated costs, hourly programs and Gate) to next year and actual current year reductions (library materials, instructional materials and PAR). In addition, $216,000 in Adult Education funding will be deferred to next year’s budget. The total reduction to the District funding is about $491,000.

2003-2004 Budget: Now that the current year budget issues have been resolved, the Governor and Legislature can focus their efforts on next year’s budget. The major issues for basic aid districts remain — the proposed loss of the $120 per student basic aid allocation ($440,000) and the seizure of 85% of the District’s property tax revenues in excess of our revenue limit ($6.4 million).

The basic aid districts in the state tried valiantly to have the property tax issue resolved prior to the March 15 certificated preliminary layoff notification date. Last Monday, eight representative basic aid superintendents from around the state went to Sacramento for a meeting with representatives of the Governor (Chris Carter from Reed School District represented Marin). The superintendents reiterated the basic aid district position that the state should not “level down” by taking district property taxes and that basic aid districts are prepared to take their “fair share” of cuts. Unfortunately, they were unable to move the Governor’s people off their position on property taxes — the basic aid proposals remain in play.

There is some relatively good news from the legislative side. Due to the intense lobbying of basic aid district communities (more than 100,000 letters!), many Senate and Assembly members are reluctant to take such drastic action against basic aid districts. Fully 40% of the members of the Assembly signed a petition in opposition; more than a third of the Senate has done the same. The Senate Budget Committee on Education voted to remove the property tax seizure from the table limiting the hit on basic aid districts to our “fair share,” including the loss of the $120 per student basic aid allocation. Senator Burton and Assemblyman Nation continue to provide leadership in support of basic aid districts.

Due to the Governor’s actions, the District was forced to issue release notices to 26 temporary teachers, notices of possible layoff to 30 probationary teachers, and notices of possible layoff/reassignment to 24 administrators. The District is reviewing proposed layoffs for classified employees and will bring a formal recommendation to the Board for public review at the April 8 Board meeting. The administration is continuing our review of the next year’s budget and will focus on reductions in the 4000-7000 object codes, also for the April 8 meeting.

The District will continue planning for a deficit ranging from $1 million (“fair share”) to $7 million. Key dates are May 15, prior to which final layoff notices must be given to certificated employees, and June 24 - final approval of the 2003-2004 school year budget.

Political Action: The Marin County basic aid district superintendents met on Monday, March 17 and agreed on a strategy to step up our pressure on the Governor. All basic aid districts have been advised to “put on the boxing gloves.” The Department of Finance clearly wants to level down the basic aid districts; the Governor’s office had the opportunity to defuse the issue and elected not to do so. Clearly, the focus must be on the Governor.

The strategy (more detailed information may be found through the District’s web site www.tamdistrict.org (link-Fiscal Crisis).

• Express appreciation for Senator Burton and Assemblyman Nation’s support of basic aid districts, while maintaining positive pressure to keep our needs in focus.
• Do everything possible to impact the Governor prior to the May Revise (May 14). He must rescind the property tax seizure proposal. Key mailing addresses (letters are preferred to e-mails) are [in the column at right].
• Involve the broader community, not just the education community, in these efforts.
• Continue expressing our commitment to assume our “fair share” of revenue reductions — no more.
• Continue expressing our opposition to “leveling down” and the seizure of property tax dollars

Meeting: The basic aid districts have scheduled an organization meeting for Wednesday, March 26, at 4:00pm in Hollis Hall at the MCOE office. At that meeting, we will review a number of options on how to involve the broader community in this effort, including sending a letter to all registered voters in the Tam District (includes our six elementary, basic aid feeder districts), contacting Realtors, seeking support from tax payer groups, senior citizens, city councils, etc.

The District is preparing a letter to go to all parents, 8-12th grade, and preparing materials for distribution at the upcoming school Open House events. Updates will be included on our web site.

Summary: While we have made progress in impacting the Sacramento political process, we must increase our efforts if we are to avoid losing substantial revenue beyond what revenue limit districts will lose. We cannot afford to let this happen to our students, staff and community.

MORE from the Superintendent’s Office on the fiscal crisis

Fiscal crisis info (20-Mar-2003)
>> Letter to Board of Trustees
printer-friendly pdf version of this letter

MORE info (28-Feb-2003)
- Letter to staff, parents & community

ALL fiscal crisis info…

KEY CONTACTS IN SACRAMENTO
These are the telephone, fax and mailing addresses of key officials. Faxed or US-mailed LETTERS rather than emails are preferred.

Governor Gray Davis
c/o Michael Bustamante, Deputy Chief of Staff
State Capitol Bldg.
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

Secretary for Education Kerry Mazzoni
Office of the Secretary for Education
1121 L Street, Suite 600
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-323-0611
Fax: 916-323-3753

Senator John Burton
State Capitol Bldg., Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-445-1412
Fax: 916-445-4722

Assemblyman Joe Nation
State Capitol, Room 3013
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: 916-319-2006
Fax: 916-319-2106

Email addresses (note that faxed or US-mailed letters are preferred):
Governor Davis: governor@governor.ca.gov
Joe Nation: joe.nation@asm.ca.gov
Senator Burton’s website: http://democrats.sen.ca.gov/senator/burton/

IMPORTANT DATES
March 4: BOARD WORKSHOP
The Board will review budget reductions recommended by staff, students, parents, and community members.
March 6: SPEAKER
Secretary of Education Mazzoni will be speaking to Marin County on Thursday evening, March 6, at 7:00pm in the San Rafael High School auditorium.
March 11: BOARD MEETING
The Board will take action as needed on approving notices of possible layoff to certificated staff, including all certificated administrators.
April 8: BOARD MEETING
The Board will review the administration’s recommendations on classified staffing reductions.
April 29: BOARD MEETING
The Board will take action as needed on approving notices of layoff to impacted classified staff.
May 15: Final date for approving certificated Reduction in Force
June 24: Approval of the 2003-2004 school year budget.