The Hermosa Beach City School District on Wednesday approved a $9.8 million budget for the next fiscal year that includes no cuts to staff or programs. District officials said that maintaining the teaching positions was possible only because the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation and Parent Teacher Organization raised $766,501 for the district.
“Without it, we’d be a totally different school district,” said board of education member Raymond Waters.
As they have done years past, the education foundation and PTO saved several positions and programs for next year, including middle school electives, the 3rd grade through 5th grade science program, the 1st grade through 5th grade physical education program, and both librarians who work five hours a day. Class sizes also would have been larger without the contributions, school officials said.
The budget that was approved keeps class sizes at 25 students or less in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and 29-30 students in grades 4-8, officials said.
The Hermosa school district, like all California school districts, is hoping voters approve a tax hike in November that would supply $577,000 to the district, or $441 per student. The district is planning for the worst case scenario in which voters reject the measure, with employees agreeing to take six furlough days to keep costs down beginning in July.
But if voters approve the tax measure in the fall, employees will be reimbursed, said outgoing superintendent Alan Rasmussen.
If the November ballot measure fails, Rasmussen said, “We will be solvent.”
Business Manager Angela Jones said the district has not filled seven or eight staff positions yet, but is currently taking applications for those positions and plans to fill them before school starts. The budget also includes administrative cost reductions of $100,000.
The belt-tightening coincides with an enrollment increase. While 118 eighth-graders are graduating, 153 children have so far enrolled in kindergarten. The district may bring in modular classrooms to provide extra space as well as do some light remodeling of the multi-purpose room at both schools.
The challenge for the school district is to keep cash on hand in order to make payments while the state defers its contributions to school districts during next school year. Officials plan to borrow from various school accounts and reserves to cover the temporary cash flow shortfall created by the state.
The governor’s tax proposal would increase the sales tax and income tax on those who make more than $250,000 a year. “The long and short of it is [this budget] would maintain us next year on this year’s money,” said outgoing superintendent Alan Rasmussen.
