BVUSD’s Budget Advisory Committee Recommendations To Go Before School Board; Decision to Be Made on April 28

Big Bear Lake, CA — The Board of Trustees for the Bear Valley Unified School District meet this evening (at 6:30pm in open session), and though they are not agendized to take action on the final budget cut recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee, these proposals will be presented. As the school district needs to make an additional $100,000 in cuts for this present school year, and another $880,000 from the coming school year in order to remain fiscally solvent, the Budget Advisory Committee drafted a few choices for the Board, which will be voted upon during the school district’s April 28 meeting. The Plan A, as presented by the BAC, is a salary rollback of 10-16% for management (which includes district administrative personnel and school site principals), and the negotiation of a salary rollback of 10-16% for both certificated and classified bargaining units, for a total savings of at least $1.4 million and as much as $2.2 million. Per the statement issued with Plan A, the BAC says, “As a result of much passionate community input, the BAC decided this plan should be the first choice plan as it promotes what is best for students and staff. We understand this plan requires challenging negotiations and we believe potential results to be worth the challenge.” Should Plan A not be adopted, budget Plan B includes 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, including a Plan C that would constitute additional layoffs.