Teacher layoffs are forestalled
The city school board avoided laying off teachers, but halved the hours of one physical education teacher and cut hours for non-teaching personnel, as board members approved a $9 million budget for the coming school year.
The balanced budget also calls for five furlough days for all district personnel, draws upon 10 percent of the district’s $1.3 million reserve fund, and makes use of $800,000 raised by volunteers, parents and other community members.
The state’s financial crisis has sent school boards scurrying to balance budgets, and further cuts from Sacramento are possible.
The Hermosa budget forestalls layoffs for three fulltime and five part-time teachers, while it cuts some clerical hours, reduces a fulltime maintenance worker to half-time status, and cuts in half the hours of the P.E. teacher.
Board member Cathy McCurdy praised “our wonderful parent community” for once again covering about 10 percent of the district’s budget. The Parent Teacher Organization raised $170,000, the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation raised $160,000, and $470,000 came in contributions from parents and other community members to the annual Excellence in Education drive.
McCurdy also praised the Hermosa Beach Education Association for foregoing any requests for salary raises, and for agreeing to the furlough days, which will save the district $182,000.
In addition, a deferred maintenance fund will be tapped for $15,000 to cover supply costs, each school board member relinquished an $8,000 annual stipend, and the district cut its $15,000 conference budget in half.
The Hermosa Beach Kiwanis service club gave the board $4,500 to forestall cuts to library hours at the two school campuses, and pledged the proceeds of the summer’s Taste at the Beach event to the libraries as well.
Board members hope that money can be found to restore the physical education teacher’s cut hours. As it stands, his salary will be entirely subsidized by the Beach Cities Health District. ER