SPESD Board announces layoffs of some employees and reduced hours for others

May 14, 2010
Santa Paula News

Trustees of the Santa Paula Elementary School District (SPESD) have announced the layoff of 23 certificated employees and a reduction in hours of other district employees.

Five classified management positions are being reduced in days from 260 to 251 days per year. In addition 10 certificated management positions are facing a nine-day reduction in workdays. The district is also eliminating mileage stipends for certificated and classified management. Finally, the board approved reducing the days of two classified confidential employees from 260 to 254 days.

All of these actions stem from the major funding cuts from Sacramento, leaving school districts in financial chaos. The SPESD started out with a $3 million dollar deficit earlier this year. With cuts in spending and the latest actions to layoff teachers and cut the hours of other workers, the district anticipates balancing the budget next year.

Because the Santa Paula Elementary School District recently filed its second Qualified Interim financial report, they are now on the California Department of Education’s fiscal early-warning list. A Qualified Interim report means the District may not meet its financial obligations in the current or coming two years.

Acting Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Moffett, who is leaving at the end of this month, told the board Tuesday night that the State Controller’s office reported this month that personal income tax collections for April totaled $7.2 billion dollars, three billion short of the amount assumed in the January Governor’s budget. “Had April’s revenue met or exceeded the forecast for that month we might have seen a boost in revenue in the range of $5 to $7 billion dollars,” Moffett said. “I think it’s really important for everyone in our community to remember that our local board did not create the current economic conditions. It does have the legal responsibility to deal with them.”

Since this week’s meeting was the last for Moffett, board members presented him with a gift basket to show their appreciation for his work as acting superintendent.





Site Search

E-Subscribe

Subscribe

E-SUBSCRIBE
Call 805 525 1890 to receive the entire paper early. $50.00 for one year.

webmaster