Music, P.E. programs may be saved after all

Last week, Martinez Unified School District Superintendent Rami Muth said the music and P.E. programs— previously slated for elimination—would be preserved if the Board of Education agreed with her recommendations for alternative budget cuts.

On Feb. 23, over 400 parents, students, teachers and residents attended a Board meeting after the District had announced its intention to cut numerous positions and programs. Half way through the meeting, more than 200 assembled in lines that stretched the length of the Alhambra High School Performing Arts Building to voice their opposition to announced teacher layoffs.

At a special MUSD Board of Education meeting on April 20, Muth will present a new list of proposed budget reductions and cuts. The meeting will be held once again in the Alhambra High School Performing Arts Building.

“[In] responding to a deficit of nearly $2.1 million, the proposed reduction list is a reflection of the input from staff and community forums, the Budget Advisory Committee and [my] cabinet,” said Muth. “All sites had the opportunity to give input, and these are the final recommendations, we gave thoughtful consideration and tried to respond to the need for cuts while still providing quality education for our students. While we did recommend that one music specialist be cut, we will still be able to provide equitable music instruction and all P.E. programs. The new recommendations leaves untouched the secondary music program.”

Eight classified personnel are on the cut list: four para-educators, a computer technician at the Martinez Adult School, a junior high custodian and a school secretary. Another secretarial position will be reduced to part-time. If the Board approves, these classified staff’s last day will be June 12.

Muth said the special meeting is just an informational session, and the Board is expected to make its final decisions at a meeting on April 27.

“There are a number of variables, and Board members may ask to remove items or add items to the list [distributed on Friday morning],” said Muth.

The 37 items on the current list add up to a savings of $1,804,001; among the big ticket proposals is the elimination of the ninth-grade class size reduction program (a savings of $106,058), converting the former Director of Curriculum and Instruction position to a part-time coordinator position ($91,440), eliminating stipends paid to teachers who serve as Department Chairs ($86,650), cutting one District electrician position ($79,958) and four full time secondary teachers ($240,000).

Also on the list is a savings of $344,863 by changing the K-3 class size reduction program target ration from 20 students for every one teacher to 25.

Board and Budget Advisory Committee member Ron Skrehot explained on Friday that the State recently changed the rules regarding class size reduction programs. In the past, the State has provided incentive money to Districts for maintaining class size ratios of 20 to 1 or lower.

“Before, if you went over 20.4 to 1, you didn’t get any funds. Now they are allowing 30 to 1, and that is allowing us to make adjustments to class size without losing money,” said Skrehot. “We’re suggesting we readjust to 25 to 1, although it’s a moving target as each elementary school doesn’t necessarily have 25 kids for each class.”

Skrehot said the Board has already implemented, for the 2009/2010 school year, two items on the proposed cut list—integrating Health classes into the 9th grade P.E. classes and reducing Computer Application classes at the high school; a combined savings of just over $100,000.

Another $106,000 could be saved by completely eliminating the ninth-grade class size reduction programs.

“If we stay at 20 to 1, it District loses money,” said Skrehot. “The State does not currently fund the full amount of the program as it did originally, and it’s a negative cost to our budget to keep the program, as is the case for most Districts across the State.”

Also scheduled for the April 20 meeting is a discussion on initiating an impact study on possible school closures or consolidations.

“Since California funds education based on the number of students enrolled, operating small schools is costly. If further budget cuts become necessary school consolidation may be a viable option for consideration for the 2010-2011 school year,” Muth said. “It won’t necessarily cost any money, and there is no mandate to hire a consultant for it—we could complete the study using internal resources.”

Muth explained the California Department of Education provides clear-cut and specific guidelines when it comes to school closure, and the supposition that closing schools with the least number of students is not always correct.

“At first look, in our case, Las Juntas and John Muir are the smallest, but they are also both Title 1 schools, meaning they receive federal funding because of the high number of students from low-income homes,” Muth said. “Hypothetically, if we were to close those schools and those students were to be dispersed into other schools, it might be the case that not one school would then have enough low-income kids to receive Title 1. We have to look beneath the surface to focus on what is most important.”

Even if the Board decides to green light an impact study, it takes at least seven months to complete.

“It’s not my recommendation to close schools, but rather to study to see if that’s a feasible option,” Muth said.

The District’s Budget Advisory Committee is comprised of 18 members (including Board member Skrehot, teachers from the elementary, middle and high schools, three classified staff representatives, parents of middle and high school students, and one member of the community with no children attending District schools), sorted through possible options and made their recommendations to Muth over the past week.

21 multiple subject teachers have been notified they might not have a job come fall, as well as four P.E. teachers, four music teachers, two English teachers, two mathematics teachers, one counselor and two librarians. That number has now been cut to four.

Following a Feb. 25 community budget workshop, Board members and administration discussed several suggestions and possibilities regarding which departments and staff could be cut.

Muth and Robbins went through the lengthy list, which included suggestions such as eliminating summer school and changing or eliminating class size reduction requirements.

“We can eliminate the elementary and middle school [summer school] programs; however, the general education programs help to offset the costs of the required programs for special education and secondary credit recovery,” said Muth. “If we eliminate the non-mandated programs the district would lose $91,216 based upon last year’s enrollment. We plan to run summer school by trimming all unnecessary costs and focusing on increasing enrollment. We believe we can run a cost neutral program or possible even raise revenue.”

“In addition to these proposed cuts, several steps have been taken to mitigate the depth of the cuts needed to respond to this fiscal crisis. All non-essential spending and hiring have been curtailed,” Muth wrote in her presentation for the April 20 meeting. “PG&E is in the process of conducting an energy audit, and a positive attendance campaign for the last month of the P-2 attendance reporting period generated additional revenue for the District. Other revenue enhancements are being actively pursued at this time,” she said.