Bear Valley School District Budget Advisory Committee Meeting

Big Bear, CA, January 30, 2012, 12noon:  Last Thursday, the Budget Advisory Committee of the Bear Valley School District met to receive a status update in regards to Governor Brown’s proposed 2012-2013 State Budget and to begin discussion of potential expenditure reductions.  The Committee, which was formed in 2008, is comprised of District administrators, school and union representatives, parents and community members who will begin reviewing items in the budget for potential reduction which, ultimately, is decided upon and presented by the Superintendent, Kurt Madden.  Committee members were appraised of the discussions from the Board Workshop meeting of January 25^th in which it was revealed that Governor Brown is proposing the elimination of home to school transportation.  For our District, that annual cost is approximately $830K.  The Governor is also proposing a $7 billion dollar tax-initiative, Prop 98 that, if it doesn’t pass, will result in an additional $960K cut in funding and the possible elimination of three weeks of school.  So, at the next Budget Advisory Committee meeting on February 6^th, the committee will, once again, begin the grueling process of revisiting the list of 85 potential areas for budget cuts as well as reviewing new areas of possible budget reductions.  Additionally, the Committee was informed of a letter our school district received from Gary Thomas, County Superintendent of Schools, that outlined the implications of having a “Qualified Certification” that indicates our district may not be able to meet our financial obligations.  Walter Con, Director of Business Services, stated that this is the first time the District has received such a letter, although the District has in the past received a “Qualified Certification”.  Of the 33 schools in San Bernardino County, 11 schools, including Bear Valley, currently have a “Qualified Certification” and have been assigned a fiscal expert from the County to assist the district in determining an on-going fiscal plan of action.  To further emphasize the urgency of this financial crisis, if a solution cannot be implemented; the County could assign a fiscal advisor who would rescind the authority of the School Board.  In a short period of time, the District needs to find solutions to this crisis and are working towards a Parcel Tax to help fund our Valley schools.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

BVUSD Budget Advisory Commitee Talks Finances

Big Bear, Ca, December 21, 2011, 12:00pm - At last week’s Bear Valley Unified School District’s Budget Advisory Committee meeting, Walter Con, Assistant Superintendent of Business, delivered the first Interim Financial Report Budget Update to the committee that consists of teachers, parents and school administration representatives.  As expected, the California Department of Finance has released its financial forecast stating that revenues will fall short $2.2 billion for the current year.  Therefore, additional cuts will need to be made to the BVUSD’s budget at a total estimated cut to be approximately $456,000 which includes a $13.00 cut to the ADA or average daily attendance.  It had previously been estimated that the cuts would have been in the realm of approximately $1.1 million dollars so although the budget cuts, for now, are expected to be less than half that amount, it is also predicted that these mid-year cuts are only the beginning.  The Department of Finance states that more cuts for 2012/2013 will be forthcoming when California Governor, Jerry Brown, releases his proposed budget for next year on January 10^th.  Foreseeing this forecast, recommendations have already been made to the Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees for possible budget reduction items.  Walter Con stated that, in his opinion, salary roll backs, furlough days or a combination of both, will need to be implemented for the school district to meet their budget limits, however, these steps would need to be negotiated with the district’s respective unions.  Teacher, Debbie Burton, stated at the meeting that the public needs to know that, as a community, when we don’t vote for school taxes, it really hurts our kids.  Ms. Burton added, “We’re down to bear bones”.  The next meeting of the Budget Advisory Committee will be on January 26^th and are open to the public.

Bear Valley Unified School District Reviews Budget Cuts Previously Approved

Big Bear Lake, CA, July 28, 2010, 10:20am – At the Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, July 21st, Trustees revisited the previously approved Plan B of the Budget Advisory Committee’s Expenditure Reduction recommendations in order to entertain the possibility of reinstating any of approved cuts previously made.  The Board held discussion for about one hour centered on the elementary school strings program that had a budget of $20,000 that was one of the items previously cut from the budget.  The board agreed to reinstate the strings program in the amount of $10,000.  Sharon Rizzo, the strings instructor, was present at the meeting and she agreed to work on fundraising efforts to raise the additional $10,000 but would also create a second option of a program based on a total $10,000 budget.  Additionally, in a 3 to 2 vote, the Board approved an expenditure of $16,000 for the upcoming school year for a Discovery Education program called “Streaming Plus” allowing for streaming of network videos in all BVUSD classrooms to enhance classroom instruction.  Last year, Discovery Education offered a 3 to 4 month free trail offer to the schools that was used heavily particularly by the elementary school teachers.  In looking ahead to the fiscal solvency for the current and subsequent two fiscal years, the Board signed a resolution to authorize on-going budget reductions, if necessary, in the amount of $358,000 in fiscal years 2011-2012 and in the amount of $420,000 in the fiscal year 2012-2013 to maintain the state required minimum reserve levels for the next three years in the event the cost of living adjustment (known as COLA) figures do not materialize given the uncertainty of the state’s financial position.

School Board Approves BAC’s Plan B Recommendation, Amounting to Nearly a Million Dollars in Cuts

Big Bear Valley, CA — Though it is not yet a done deal, the Board of Trustees for the Bear Valley Unified School District did implement additional cuts to school programs in adopting the fiscal year 2010/2011 budget on June 23. The Board adopted the budget as it was presented to them in a June 21^st budget workshop—and this includes the Budget Advisory Committee’s Plan B recommendation, one of three that received much discussion during the school board’s April 28 budget meeting. As outlined in the Budget Advisory Committee’s Plan B and adopted, an additional $930,000 in cuts will be made to BVUSD; this includes the one percent pay cut taken by classified staff and management, the freeze on certificated staff’s step and column advancement, and seven furlough days for all three groups, amounting to salary reductions of 4½ percent. Additional reductions included in Plan B are as follows: a $55,000 reduction in routine maintenance for BVUSD, $20,000 reduction to school site budgets, a $38,000 reduction to Big Bear High’s athletic travel budget (from what had been $86,000), the elimination of BBMS athletic travel, elimination of the strings program, elimination of the intervention programs (amounting to $200,000), elimination of board stipends, reductions to adult education and the high school exit exam program, the elimination of GATE and two other programs, and a $20,400 reduction to the professional development budget. As explained by the district’s Director of Business Services Walter Con, “There was a lot of discussion about potentially revisiting some of these cuts at the July 7 meeting, in particular the strings program and school realignment.” Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright will be reconvening the Budget Advisory Committee (comprised of school personnel, union representatives and parent Mary Kelso) as of August, to continue to look for solutions to the funding crisis. But, all told, relays Con, “The outlook for funding to K-12 education remains bleak, and it is most likely the district will have to make additional cuts to maintain fiscal solvency.”

CSD, School Board and BBARWA Hold Meetings Week of June 21

Big Bear Valley, CA — East Valley residents will have opportunity to provide public comment on the fiscal year 2010/2011 budget of the Big Bear City Community Services District this evening, as the June 7 meeting of the CSD Board had been adjourned due to lack of a quorum. The district’s investment policy and a proposed resolution, to have delinquent trash and water service fees placed on the tax roll, are also on the agenda for this evening’s 5:30pm meeting, to be held at the CSD offices at 139 E. Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear City.
Other meetings of this week include the already-noticed meeting of the Bear Valley Unified School District’s Board of Trustees, scheduled to review the budget in a 5:15pm workshop this evening (June 21). The 2010/2011 budget is scheduled for school board adoption on Wednesday; open session for the June 23 meeting at the school district offices on Moonridge Road is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm.
Also on Wednesday, the Governing Board for the Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency meets for their regular monthly meeting at 5pm, at the BBARWA offices located at 121 Palomino Drive in Big Bear City. The BBARWA Board will hear an informational presentation on Load Equalization Basin Feasibility, as well as an informational report on the agency’s investments.

BVUSD’s Management and Unions Agree to Seven Furlough Days in 2010/2011 School Year

Big Bear Valley, CA — The Bear Valley Unified School District has come to an agreement with both unions—BVEA, which represents certificated staff members (meaning teachers) and CSEA, the classified employees union (which includes clerical and maintenance personnel)—as of the school district’s special board meeting held this week. As agreed to by both unions, as well as the district’s confidential management employees, all BVUSD staff will have seven furlough days during the 2010/2011 school year, meaning that there will be no school for students or staff and, that said, staff will not be paid for these seven days over the course of the school year, which will still begin on August 3. According to the district’s Director of Personnel Tim Larson, “This is a pretty significant step on the part of all groups.” The financial impact to employees results in about half a percent for each furlough day so, per Larson, the combined result of furlough days implemented in both this current school year and the upcoming school year amounts to an approximate 4½ percent pay cut to all three groups (BVEA, CSEA and management) over the course of two school years. As Larson adds, “We are just hoping this is the last time that the State will impose these deep cuts on our employees and our children.” The final budget for BVUSD’s upcoming school year will be the sole item on the meeting agenda for June 21; an in-depth presentation on the 2010/2011 budget will begin at 5:15pm, in open session, at the school district offices on Moonridge Road, with adoption of this budget planned for the evening of June 23. Larson also tells KBHR that six teachers will be taking retirement incentives at this school year’s end, so that will allow for the rehiring of six teachers from the re-hire list. Those whose retirement notifications have already been announced are teachers Priscilla Alexander, Joyce Carlson, Teresa Lynch, and Mary and Sam Marich; the four teachers who have since been re-hired to continue with BVUSD are Suzy Carpenter, Rachel Edwards, Amy Ellis and Susan Iles.

BVUSD’s Trustees and Unions Agree on Furlough Day; Students to Get Bonus Day Off on Friday of Memorial Day Weekend

Big Bear Valley, CA — Students of the Bear Valley Unified School District will get a four-day weekend over the Memorial Day holiday, given a furlough day approval voted upon by the school district’s Board of Trustees in their meeting last night (May 19). In support of the financial challenges to the school district, both the certificated and classified unions agreed to one furlough day for this current school year; the agreement was offered during ongoing contract negotiations, and then agreed upon by the Board, which will translate to a cost savings to the district, and a bonus day off for students on Friday, May 28. Negotiations for the upcoming school year do continue between the unions, BVEA and CSEA, and district administration—and progress is said to be very collaborative and positive–and should be ratified on or before May 26, allowing for the school board to make final budget cut determinations on their meeting of June 4. In other news from the Wednesday meeting of BVUSD, the agenda item regarding kindergarten realignment was pulled, to allow for additional information as well as input from stakeholders. A “realignment” of the kindergarten program at Baldwin Lane, Big Bear and North Shore Elementaries may translate to reinstating the am/pm schedule, which BVUSD has not implemented in the last few school years.
Just a reminder, BVUSD students are on an early-out schedule on Friday, May 21. Big Bear Middle School students will be released at 11:46am, Big Bear High School students will be released at noon, North Shore Elementary students will be released at 12:20pm, Big Bear Elementary students will be released at 12:40pm, and Baldwin Lane Elementary students will be released at 12:55pm.

School Board Votes to Accept Budget Reduction Plans A, B and C, But Move to Hold on Final Decision Until June 4

Wednesday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees for the Bear Valley Unified School District, for which itemized budget cuts of nearly one million dollars were on the agenda, opened with public comment, which several Big Bear High School students took advantage of. First among those to the podium for the meeting at Big Bear Middle School was sophomore Nadia Jenkins, who spoke of her dream to be a doctor and her hopes that BVUSD would continue the French language program. “I’ve tried online programs for language learning,” she said, “and it’s not the same not to have a relationship with a teacher.” In response to this, BVUSD’s Director of Personnel Tim Larson shared the good news, announcing, “We will have a French program at the high school—a condensed one, but the exciting news is there will be a French program.”
Additional public comment included a plea for the elementary strings program, which includes 75 students at three schools, and support for the Trustees—President Beverly Grabe, Randall Putz, Debra Sarkisian, Ken Turney and Paul Zamoyta—during the difficult funding crisis at the state level, which has resulted in the need for an additional $980,000 in cuts over this school year and next, in order to keep BVUSD from bankruptcy. As noted by a grateful Raven Uhler, the high school’s ASB President, “You’ve made some very difficult decisions and I support you 100%. I really appreciate you guys, and you deserve to know you’ve made a difference in my life.”
On the table for Trustees’ approval were three budget recommendation plans submitted by the Budget Advisory Committee, for which Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright is the non-voting chair (however, she was not present for the April 28 meeting, due to a family emergency). “All facets were represented,” said the district’s Director of Business Services Walter Con of the BAC, “and everyone who wanted to be heard was heard.” Still, as far as budget cuts, Con paraphrased BAC parent representative Mary Kelso when noting, “We’ve already picked the low hanging fruit.”
So, Plans B and C of the budget committee call for the elimination or reduction of many programs, among those elementary strings, athletic travel budgets, board stipends, intervention and GATE programs, and budgets for maintenance and school sites. However, the just-announced agreement with BVEA, the teachers’ union, adding one furlough day to this school year, does allow a little wiggle room with funding cuts, which prompted a thank you from the district’s Larson.
President Grabe opened the cut adoption discussion with, “Plan A and B both depend on negotiations. We can’t make a decision on money that might or might not occur.” True, ongoing negotiations with both BVEA and CSEA, the classified staff union, continue through May 19, so the Plan A of an across-the-board salary cut of 10-16% can not yet be counted on as a funding solution until those negotiations are complete; Plan B includes the prospect of $522,000 in cuts through additional furloughs and salary reductions of potentially one percent. The school board discussed the idea of accepting the budget cut recommendations, with Zamoyta suggesting, “Depending on how negotiations go, other funding sources go, all of this can be rescinded.” Trustees Sarkisian and Grabe hoped to keep the strings program intact–on a reduced budget of $12,000 (rather than $20,000) as presented by strings teacher Sharon Rizzo—though, as a group, they wanted to hold on implementation of any cuts until the union negotiations are ratified on or before May 26 and the May Revised Budget available on May 21.
So, in a unanimous vote, the school board moved to accept Plans A, B and C and, once negotiations are complete, they will reconvene on June 4 to determine if Plan A (outlining salary rollbacks) is feasible, otherwise Plan B with program cuts plus $522,000 in negotiated items will be implemented; if neither of these can be achieved, Plan C will be adopted, as Plan C incorporates 13 program, department budget and transportation cuts, in addition to the need for an additional $522,000 in layoffs and management concessions.
Update: Per BVUSD on June 2, the school board will not be making final budget cut determinations on June 4; no meeting date has yet been set.

Lighthouse Project Hosts May 5 Community Forum to Address Public Education Funding Crisis

Big Bear Lake, CA — In furthering their efforts to foster a child-honoring community, the Lighthouse Project is hosting a community forum to address opportunities to alleviate crisis for our public schools. On Wednesday, May 5, from 6 to 8pm, all interested community members are invited to participate in the forum at Community Church by the Lake (on the Boulevard at Knickerbocker in Big Bear Lake); the purpose of the forum, per the Lighthouse’s Program Coordinator Beth Gardner, is to marshal support for schools and children as we navigate through the current public education funding crisis. After a brief general session, attendees will be split into small, facilitated focus groups, the results of which will be shared with Bear Valley Unified’s Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright. Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute to a videotaped message which will be forwarded to government officials in Sacramento and Washington DC. According to Gardner, “The children of our community have never needed us more. Because of our geographic isolation, it is imperative that all of our children have ready access to schools in the area that provide excellent programs and education to prepare them for their future. Their future is truly our future. On May 5, we hope to see a magnificent turnout worthy of our special community.” RSVPs are requested for this event; to do so, please call the Lighthouse Project at 888/906-9998.

School Board Scheduled to Take Action on Budget Cut Recommendations This Evening

Big Bear Lake, CA — The Board of Trustees for the Bear Valley Unified School District has a big decision before them this evening, as they vote on budget cut recommendations from the Budget Advisory Committee. There are three plan suggestions on the table, in an effort to cut an additional $980,000 in spending for this school year and next. Plan A outlines salary rollbacks of 10-16%; the Plan B budget recommendation includes elimination of the GATE program, a reduction to Big Bear High School athletic travel, the elimination of athletic travel for the middle school, the elimination of intervention programs, reductions to maintenance and site budgets, and the elimination of the strings program, in addition to other items; and Plan C incorporates Plan B, plus additional layoffs for BVUSD personnel. This evening’s meeting of the school board takes place in the new cafeteria at Big Bear Middle School, and open session is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm.

Next Page »