School district will lay off 21 positions

Ninth grader Emily Ladnier tells passing cars to “Honk for Education” during a Stand Up for Schools rally last Thursday at Mira Costa High School. The rally was intended to raise awareness about education cuts in state funding. Photo by Andrea Ruse

by Andrea Ruse

Three weeks ago, Manhattan Beach Unified School Board officials were preparing to deliver layoff notices to at least 57 teachers and other staff in the district by next Monday.

Fewer than half of those notices will be sent out thanks to the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation’s $4.1 million donation to the district at last Wednesday’s School Board meeting.

“Without the Ed Foundation, I don’t know where we would be,” said Ida Vander Poorte, president of Manhattan Beach Unified School Board. “We would be cutting a lot more programs and a lot more teachers. Frankly, $4 million is what we’d be cutting.”

The school district, however, was still far from passing its $50 million budget unscathed. A reported $1.5 million shortfall still looms.

At a special Monday board meeting, the board voted unanimously to cut 21 full time positions next school year, including 17 teaching positions.

Layoff notices will be issued to teachers by March 15 and may be rescinded at a later date if the district can find a way to afford to keep them.

Five high school teachers — or, full time equivalents (FTEs) which may include the sum of multiple part-time positions — will be eliminated next year in math, social studies, Spanish, English, Art, physical education, biology, physics and a college prep course. Increased class sizes will eliminate 12 elementary FTEs, including two physical education teachers. Counselors, a psychologist, a nurse and a special education specialist will also be let go.

“It’s not going to be the same school district it was two or three years ago,” said Ida Vander Poorte, president of Manhattan Beach Unified School Board. “Two years ago, we had P.E. instructors in elementary schools. Last year, we only had them for fourth and fifth grades. Next year, there will be no P.E. specialists for elementary.”

The board has anguished in recent months over what appeared to be a swift decision at Monday’s meeting. The district has held budget workshops and special board meetings, in addition to regular meetings, since January.

Based on projections from Sacramento, the district in December anticipated a $3 million shortfall over the next two years, according to Dr. Steve Romines, MBUSD Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Estimates sharply increased to $6.5 million in recent weeks, as Sacramento has haggled over its budget.

“The news out of Sacramento is that there is no money,” Vander Poorte said at Wednesday’s meeting. “We can expect more cuts above what the governor has said. We shouldn’t rely on his proposal.”

The exact amount the district will need to trim from its budget will not be known until the state budget is adopted in June, at the earliest.

Last week, $2 million of the district’s budget was saved when school officials recognized a miscalculation regarding state funding for class size reductions, according to Vander Poorte. PTA donations of $355,000 also helped soften the blow. But school officials remained uncertain about the number of cuts until MBEF announced last week how much money it would contribute.

“The foundation was originally formed to help fund enrichment programs, like music and the arts,” said Erika White, president of MBEF. “But we’ve evolved as budget cuts have become more severe. We’ve had to start paying for teacher’s salaries and, of course, class size is important to our donors.”

Roughly $2 million of MBEF’s donation will go towards keeping student-to-teacher ratios in K-3 classes at 23:1 and at 29:1 in higher grades. The remainder will fund supplemental programs, including reading, computer and music specialists.

“How do you say ‘Thank you?’” Vander Poorte said at last Wednesday’s meeting, where the organization received a standing ovation for its contribution.

Approximately 95 percent of the funds raised by MBEF this year came from 2,800 families in the district, the rest coming from corporate donors, including Chevron and American Airlines, according to White.

While the majority of families donated up to $2,500, six families donated at least $25,000, 40 families donated between $10,000 and $20,000, and 432 families donated between $2,500 and $10,000.

“We have a very generous community,” White said. “It somehow manages to raise more every year. We are lucky to live in Manhattan Beach.”

During last year’s budget crisis, MBEF contributed $2.8 million and $1.3 million, which — in addition to a $1.3 donation from the city — saved 84 teaching jobs. The city, which faces its own $3.5 million budget shortfall, will most likely not be making a similar contribution to the district this year.

“It will be extremely difficult for the city to give a cash contribution to the school district this year,” Councilmember Portia Cohen said.

The city is considering leasing district-owned property at Polliwog Park to ease its own finances while generating more revenue for the school, according to Cohen. The school district will also wait to find out whether Beach Cities Health District will make a donation, as they have in years past.

School officials, students and parents met at Mira Costa High School last Thursday to rally against state budget cuts.

“Who knows how Sacramento will balance its budget this year?” Vander Poorte said. “But whatever they decide, we’ll find a way to do it. We are not unique in this. It’s a horrible situation that’s happening in every district.” ER

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