Tuesday’s school board meeting was a somber event after the board voted unanimously to institute the Redondo Beach Unified School District’s first confirmed furlough days in the history of the district.
The Redondo Beach Teachers Association (RBTA) was the first group to reach an agreement to implement five furlough days. The California School Employees Association (CSEA) agreed to four furlough days, the Confidential Classified Employees agreed to five furlough days and the Classified and Certificated Management employees agreed to six furlough days.
“These were very difficult but necessary discussions,” said Assistant Superintendent Nancy Billinger. “I appreciate the manner in which we were able to reach these decisions; they were not easy. I think everybody will agree this is a catastrophic situation over which we have no control.”
It could be much worse come November if both Proposition 30 and Proposition 38 are not passed. In that case, there could be up to 17 furlough days depending of the depth of the budget cuts.
“We really see this as the responsibility of the state to step in and manage the economic crisis that we’re facing that’s resulting in a negative situation and a loss of instructional days for our students,” said Billinger. “And not to mention a drastic reduction of salaries for our employees.”
Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30 would raise $10 billion by increasing the state’s sales tax .25 percent for four years and raising income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for five years. The other ballot measure, civil attorney Molly Munger’s Proposition 38, would increase public education funding by $7 billion a year by increasing income tax for 12 years.
If either passes, additional furlough days are not expected to be implemented but if neither pass the results could be disastrous.
“We’re all waiting for the November election,” said RBUSD Chief Business Official Janet Radella. “[It’s] critical the governor’s initiative passes, otherwise we’re going to experience another significant reduction of up to $3.8 million. [We’re] also concerned about what else is going on with state budget that could cause additional funding issues that we don’t know about. This is a very serious thing for public education, not just for Redondo Beach but for all districts.”
According to school board vice president Laura Emdee, the cuts would equal $457 per student. “That’s a lot of money,” Emdee said.
For RBTA President Monica Joyce, the first day of school, which was Tuesday morning, was exciting for both students and teachers.
“We came back to school today after many hours and days of preparation to teach the kids who we love to teach,” said Joyce. “It was good to be back meeting and greeting our former students and our new students, I guess that’s the reason why we do what we do.”
Joyce and the RBTA bargaining team spent the summer participating in negotiations mainly focused around furlough days.
“[They] were probably one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to participate in [after] over 30 years of teaching,” said Joyce. “But our membership has been supportive of the bargaining team and of each other. We are dedicated to working as hard as we ever do to teach the children as well as we can and we are dedicated to that.”
To that end, Joyce expressed her support of educating the community about the November ballot measures and their need to defeat Proposition 32. Proposition 32 would ban corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates and Joyce believes would attack their first amendment rights of freedom of expression.
“Our students cannot afford 17 furlough days,” said Joyce. “…if 30 or 38 do not pass, the cuts will be automatic and catastrophic to Redondo Beach and the state of California, and therefore the nation.”
The President of the Redondo Beach PTA, Polly Kinsinger, said she is aware of the budget cuts and the impacts of the furlough days, but other cuts are more direct and important to parents and students.
“The need for student furlough days is less disappointing than the fact we had to give up back-to-school night,” said Kinsinger. “Parents are sad they don’t have the opportunity to come into classrooms and visit with teachers and have that community-feel. We understand budgets require us to make compensations and cuts where we need to and as parents we’re all in this boat together with the school board and teachers.”
She also said that parents need to have patience with teachers and RBUSD employees because of the budget cuts and lack of staff members.
“Cuts have had to happen, but the job descriptions don’t go away… The jobs that people did lose get consumed by somebody else. A secretary may have twice as much as she or he did before. Parents [have to] be aware that everybody is dealing with this situation. Patience is a must on both sides.”
Billinger warned that even with the implementation of the furlough days, the possible $3.8 million deficit is not completely alleviated. The decision to include furlough days in the 2012-13 year covers just $2 million of the deficit. “So we’re going to have to come up with a plan to manage the additional $1.8 [million],” she said.
Also on the November ballot will be a bond measure the school board recently passed that would add $63 million to the district’s coffers for technology improvements and a district-wide solar energy system. The measure would largely take RBUSD off the electrical grid by making every school solar-powered, therefore saving the district an estimated $500,000 to $700,000 annually in utility bills that are paid for from its general fund. Because of the nature of the bond, salaries cannot be paid with the bond money, but the saved general fund money could be used to pay employees.
All totaled, the district estimates it would achieve a $2.2 million saving from its general fund annually during the first ten years of the 20-year bond, and $500,000 annually for its remainder, potentially closing the budget gap and preventing more furlough days.
“We’re asking an awful lot,” said RBUSD president Anita Avrick. “Asking you to do what you do — which is teach our children in the most incredible way, and then also take a cut in pay. If there was any other way we would have found it.” ER
