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.