2012 Board Actions/Resolutions
On February 21, 2012, the Board of Education took action to adopt a number of resolutions that initiate the legally required steps to notify certificated and classified personnel of potential layoffs for the 2012-2013 school year.
For the 2012-2013 school year, Superintendent Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D. has recommended, and the Board supports, that EGUSD minimize, as much as possible, staff reductions for the coming year. EGUSD will use the district’s ending fund balance to keep people in place, pending the outcome of tax initiatives in upcoming November election.
For 2012-2013, the district will staff at negotiated certificated contract levels for schools. As required for the budget process, this funding model is based on the Governor’s January proposal for public schools, the recognition of a projected decline in the district’s enrollment of 385 students, and the impact of the state’s 2011-2012 mid-year trigger cuts to school districts.
There will be no additional reductions related to budget cuts for classified staff for the coming 2012-2013 school year. Please note that for those certificated and classified employees who are annually released pending confirmation of grant and categorical funding, this process will remain in place. EGUSD’s intent is to reinstate these positions once the district has been notified that the funding is secure for 2012-2013.
In addition, the 2012-2013 budget has been built to reflect that all furlough days and salary rollbacks will end for all employees as of July 1, 2012. Those staff members who are scheduled to move forward on the salary/column schedule will do so in accordance with negotiated agreements.
An overview of the projected 2012-2013 certificated staffing is as follows:
- Staffing ratios in 7-12 will remain the same as this year
- Counselors will remain at the current staffing level (66 FTE)
- Librarians will remain at the current staffing level (19 FTE)
- Class sizes in K-3 will be 28:1
- Class sizes in 4-6 will be 26:1
- Computer resource teachers will remain in place
School districts in California are required by law to notify certificated staff, which includes teachers, of possible layoff by March 15 of every year. In EGUSD it has been the practice of both the district and labor associations to notice classified staff at the same time. Due to the state’s budget process, school districts must make this determination of possible layoffs based on the most current state budget information available.
The Sacramento County Office of Education has advised school districts that they must base their March 15 notices on a budget that would account for the possibility of the failure of the November tax extension measures.
The adoption of the resolutions direct the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources to notify all certificated employees associated with the reduction and/or elimination of 78 full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated positions related to budget cuts and 30.5 FTE certificated positions related to declining enrollment.
In addition, the Board considered and adopted four resolutions directing the associate superintendent to notice an additional 37.5 FTE certificated positions and 94 classified positions that are noticed because their position is funded through grant or categorical funds. The district annually notices a number of these categorical or grant funded positions until their funding stream is confirmed. Once the funds are secured, offers of employment are once again extended to these individuals.
At the February 21 meeting, in addition to the previously described resolution to dismiss certificated and classified employees, the Board of Education also took action on a resolution to release long-term substitutes and temporary employees; a resolution to release and reassign certificated administrators; a resolution to determine the criteria for deviation from terminating a certificated employee in order of seniority; a resolution determining the competency criteria; and a resolution outlining the tie breaking criteria for employees with the same seniority start date.
For more information about the positions, please click on the resolutions below.
Resolution #34
Resolution for Release and Non-Reelection of Certificated Long-term Substitute and Temporary
Resolution #35
Resolution of Release and Reassignment of Certificated Administrators
Resolution #36
Resolution of Intention to Dismiss Certificated Employees
Resolutions #37 and #38
Resolution to Determine Criteria for Deviation From Terminating a Certificated Employee in Order of Seniority
Resolution #39
Resolution to Determine Tie Breaking Criteria
Resolution #40
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #41
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #42
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
2011 Board Actions/Resolutions
July 25, 2011 – Final State Budget Update
Based on the final California State Budget, signed into law on June 30, 2011, EGUSD was able to lower its budget cut target for the 2011-2012 school year and rehire the remaining certificated staff members who had been laid off. A total of 445 certificated staff members had received a final notice of layoff in May 2011. This means that 2011-2012 class sizes will remain the same as in 2010-2011.
This good news is tempered, because the financial future of public schools in California continues to remain uncertain. Our elected state leaders have provided public schools with a one year budget solution with but no certainty regarding the level of future school funding beyond the 2011-2012 year. As we open school for the 2011-12 school year, EGUSD is faced with increasing costs such as health care and fuel, concerns over future cash flow, flat enrollment and a volatile state budget. These factors mean that the district is not able to restore all budget cuts made for the 2011-2012 school year. The district continues to face a budget deficit for the 2012-2013 school year.
In addition, there is uncertainty about the final state budget, which is based on questionable assumptions. One assumption is that California’s revenues will grow by $10.6 billion in 2011-2012. In the event that $4 billion of this revenue does not materialize, the legislature has defined “automatic triggers” that will be used to address mid-year cuts on school districts. This trigger allows for the possibility (subject to negotiations) of the reduction of an additional seven school days.
A second concern is that the new state budget lowers the Proposition 98 guarantee, the legally mandated minimum funding for public education. Each time Proposition 98 is lowered, it becomes the new beginning point for future year funding. In the 2011-2012 adopted state budget, $2.1 billion dollars of Proposition 98 money is being redirected to cities and counties rather than to schools. While the budget contains a pledge to repay school districts the $2.1 billion it is borrowing, the failure of a ballot measure to increase taxes would mean that it would take five years to repay the entire sum.
EGUSD continues to monitor the information from the state and will provide updates to staff and the community as they become available.
______________
On February 22, 2011, the Board of Education took action to adopt a number of resolutions that initiate the legally required steps to notify certificated and classified personnel of potential layoffs for the 2011-2012 school year. The resolutions will result in preliminary notification of almost 1,000 EGUSD staff. The Sacramento County Office of Education has directed school districts in Sacramento County to issue preliminary layoff notices based on the failure of the tax extensions measure. The legislature has yet to place the tax extensions on the June ballot.
The adoption of the resolutions is another step in a lengthy budget process. School districts in California are required by law to notify certificated staff, which includes teachers, of possible layoff by March 15 of every year. In EGUSD it has been the practice of both the district and labor associations to notice classified staff at the same time. Due to the state’s budget process, school districts must make this determination of possible layoffs based on the most current state budget information available.
The Sacramento County Office of Education has advised school districts that they must base their March 15 notices on a budget that would account for the possibility of the failure of the Governor’s tax extension measures. Based on this scenario, EGUSD may need to reduce its 2011-2012 budget by about $40 million. These cuts follow three of years of budget reductions during which time EGUSD’s budget was reduced by more than $100 million. In total, the district will have reduced its budget by more than $140 million over four years as the result of a lack of funding from the state.
The adoption of the resolutions direct the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources to notify all certificated employees associated with the reduction and/or elimination of 415.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated positions. In addition, the Board considered and adopted four resolutions directing the associate superintendent to notice all classified employees associated with a reduction in force of 216 FTE positions. The board also considered and adopted a resolution of release and reassignment of 25 certificated administrators.
Of these 658 certificated and classified positions, approximately 324 FTE are being noticed because their position is funded through grants or categorical dollars that have expired or revenue sources that are uncertain. The district annually notices a number of these positions until their funding stream is confirmed. Once the funds are secured, offers of employment are once again extended to these individuals.
The difference in number between total notices and total positions is due to several reasons: 1) not all district employees are full-time; 2) multiple employees often share the same seniority date and/or hire date; and 3) layoff rights ensure reemployment rights at lower classifications for classified employees requiring a displacement process referred to as “bumping” and to certificated employees who are placed on re-employment lists (24 months for probationary and 39 months for tenured) and then called back to be offered positions in order of seniority. In the latter case, all employees affected would require notification.
At the February 22 meeting, the Board of Education also took action on resolutions releasing temporary employees and long-term substitutes; a resolution outlining the tie-breaking criteria for employees with the same seniority start date; and, a resolution to determine criteria for deviation from terminating a certificated employee in order of seniority.
In the coming weeks, the budget information will be refined and notices, when possible, will be rescinded accordingly. The district has been and will continue to be creative with funding to provide Elk Grove Unified students the best educational opportunities possible.
For more information about the positions, please click on the resolutions below.
Resolution #32
Resolution of Intention to Dismiss Certificated Employees
Resolution #33
Resolution to Determine Tie Breaking Criteria
Resolution #34
Resolution of Release and Reassignment of Certificated Administrators
Resolution #35
Resolution to Determine Criteria for Deviation From Terminating a Certificated Employee in Order of Seniority
Resolution #36
Resolution for Release and Non-Reelection of Certificated Long-term Substitute and Temporary Employees
Resolution #37
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #38
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #39
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #40
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
On February 15, 2011, the Elk Grove Unified School District’s Board of Education approved a Resolution Supporting Legislation for Statewide Special Election.
Resolution#41
Resolution Supporting Legislation for Statewide Special Election
2010 Board Actions/Resolutions
On March 2, 2010 the Board of Education took action to adopt a number of resolutions that initiate the legally required steps to notify certificated and classified personnel of potential layoffs for the 2010-2011 school year. The resolutions will result in preliminary notification of more than 1,000 EGUSD staff, about one-sixth of the district’s employees. This painful ordeal is a result of the State of California’s lack of funding for public education.
The adoption of the resolutions is another step in a lengthy budget process. School districts in California are required by law to notify certificated staff, which includes teachers, of possible layoff by March 15 of every year. In EGUSD it has been the practice of both the district and labor associations to notice classified staff at the same time. Due to the state’s budget process, school districts must make this determination of possible layoffs based on the most current state budget information available.
Based on the Governor’s January budget proposal, EGUSD needs to reduce its 2010-2011 budget by $60.5 million. These cuts follow two years of budget reductions during which time EGUSD’s budget was reduced by more than $40 million. In total, the district will have reduced its budget by more than $100 million over three years as the result of a lack of funding from the state.
The adoption of the resolutions direct the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources to notify all certificated employees associated with the reduction and/or elimination of 545.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated positions. In addition, the Board considered and adopted three resolutions directing the associate superintendent to notice all classified employees associated with a reduction in force of 272.2 FTE positions.
Of these 817.8 certificated and classified positions, approximately 300 FTE are being noticed because their position is funded through grants or categorical dollars that have expired or revenue sources that are uncertain. The district annually notices a number of these positions until their funding stream is confirmed. Once the funds are secured, offers of employment are once again extended to these individuals.
The difference in number between total notices and total positions is due to several reasons: 1) not all district employees are full-time; 2) multiple employees often share the same seniority date and/or hire date; and 3) layoff rights ensure reemployment at lower classifications requiring a displacement process referred to as “bumping.” In the latter case, all employees affected would require notification.
At the March 2 meeting, the Board of Education also took action on resolutions releasing temporary employees; long-term substitutes; a resolution outlining the tie-breaking criteria for employees with the same seniority start date; and, a resolution that excludes teachers with full special education credentials, physical science credentials and mathematics credentials from consideration for reduction and/or elimination.
In the coming weeks, the budget information will be refined and notices, when possible, will be rescinded accordingly. The district has been and will continue to be creative with funding to provide Elk Grove Unified students the best educational opportunities possible.
For more information about the positions, please click on the resolutions below.
Resolution #42
Resolution of Intention to Dismiss Certificated Employees
Resolution #43
Resolution to Determine Tie Breaking Criteria
Resolution #44
Resolution of Release and Reassignment of Certificated Administrators
Resolution #45
Resolution to Release Certificated Administrators
Resolution #46
Resolution to Determine Criteria for Deviation From Terminating a Certificated Employee in Order of Seniority
Resolution #47
Resolution for Release and Non-Reelection of Certificated Long-term Substitute and Temporary Employees
Resolution #48
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #49
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #50
Resolution Eliminating Classified Positions
Resolution #51
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions
2009 Board Actions/Resolutions
March 3, 2009 Board of Education Meeting Update
Ten days have passed since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a budget that attempts to close the state’s $41.6 billion budget gap anticipated by June 2010. The largest share of the cuts is to K-12 public education funding, which is being reduced by $8.6 billion. The state budget also increased the flexibility in how districts use categorical funding. While flexibility is helpful, it does not make up for the lack of funding for our students.
Understanding the nuances of this complex budget is not an easy task. The unknowns surrounding the federal stimulus package further complicate the budgeting process. According to school finance experts, education in California is slated to receive a promised $8.3 billion in federal dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. When and how school districts will actually receive the money remains unclear. The Elk Grove Unified School District has yet to be officially informed of how much of the stimulus package it will receive. The Sacramento County Office of Education has stated that school districts should not include these anticipated federal funds in budget projections at this time.
In addition, the state’s signed budget is dependent on the passage of a number of ballot measures slated for a May 19 special election. As such, we still must await the outcome of these ballot measures to determine their impact on public education. Even with these unknowns, by law, the Elk Grove Unified School District is required to submit a balanced budget for the following year plus a budget projection for the next two years to the Sacramento County Office of Education by July 1. The county must approve the district’s budget as well as a number of interim budget reports.
Based on the best information available at the time of this writing, the district will need to make about $38 million in ongoing cuts over the next three years. In addition, the district will need to make $10 million in one-time cuts in 2008-2009. All of the 2008-2009 cuts involve things and did not result in any personnel layoffs.
Superintendent Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D. requested that the budget reduction process be viewed through the following lenses, in no particular order:
- keep people before things;
- cleanliness;
- safety and security;
- academic programs and services.
Fortunately, over the past few years, the district has been cautious with its dollars, which has resulted in a reserve that can now be used to help the district weather tough economic times. That time has come. Superintendent Ladd has worked with the Board, cabinet and staff to use the reserves to save as many educational programs for students and jobs for staff as possible for at least one more year in 2009-2010. As a result, several of the identified budget reductions, including class size reduction in kindergarten through 3rd grade, administrators, library positions and others, have been postponed to the 2010-2011 school year.
Make no mistake – in 2009-2010, the district will still have to make significant budget reductions of $4 million in one-time cuts and $12.2 million in ongoing cuts. Many millions of dollars in cuts will need to be made as well in the coming years.
Like all school districts in California, when making possible reductions in workforce, the Elk Grove Unified School District must notify certificated staff of possible layoff by March 15. To meet this statutory deadline, the district had to make decisions based on the best information at the time, understanding and accepting that the information will change over the coming weeks. Certificated staff must receive final notification by May 15. Classified staff can be noticed at any time during the year, 45-days in advance of layoff. It has been a recent practice of EGUSD to notice classified staff at the same time as certificated.
In order to meet the legally required timelines, district staff has spent hours pouring over the budget variables to understand how they will impact EGUSD’s budget. In the days since the Governor signed the budget, district staff has worked diligently to reduce the number of potential layoff notices from about 1,100 to about 300 and still build a fiscally responsive budget.
In response to the statutory March 15 deadline, the Board of Education convened during a regular meeting of the Board on March 3, 2009, and initiated the legally required steps to notify certificated personnel and classified personnel of potential layoffs for the 2009-2010 school year. Specifically, the governing board considered and adopted a resolution directing the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources to notify all certificated employees associated with the reduction and/or elimination of 85.4 FTE (full-time equivalent) certificated positions. In addition, the Board considered and adopted three resolutions directing the associate superintendent to notice all classified employees associated with a reduction in force of 190 positions.
Of these 190 classified positions, more than half are unrelated to the district’s budget reductions. They are being notified because their position is funded through grants that have expired or revenue sources that are uncertain. The district annually notices a number of these positions until their funding stream is confirmed. Once the funds are secured, offers of employment are once again extended to these individuals.
The difference in number between total notices and total positions is due to several reasons: 1) not all district employees are full-time; 2) multiple employees often share the same seniority date and/or hire date; and 3) layoff rights insure reemployment at lower classifications requiring a displacement process referred to as “bumping.” In the later case, all employees affected would require notification.
Finally, at the March 3 meeting, the Board of Education also took action on resolutions releasing temporary employees; long-term substitutes; a resolution outlining the tie-breaking criteria for employees with the same seniority start date; and, a resolution that excludes teachers with full special education credentials and mathematics credentials from consideration for reduction and/or elimination.
In the coming weeks, the budget information will be refined and notices, when possible, will be rescinded accordingly. The district has been and will continue to be creative with funding to provide Elk Grove Unified students the best educational opportunities possible.
For more information about the positions, please click on the resolutions below.
Resolution #58
Resolution of Intention to Dismiss Certificated Employees
Resolution #59
Resolution to Determine Tie-Breaking Criteria for 2009-2010
Resolution #60
Resolution of Release and Reassignment of Certificated Administrators
Resolution #61
Resolution to Determine Criteria for Deviation from Terminating a Certificated Employee in Order of Seniority (“Skipping” Criteria)
Resolution #62
Resolution for Release and Non-Reelection of Certificated Long-term Substitute and Temporary Employees
Resolution #63
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions (AFSCME)
Resolution #64
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions (CSEA)
Resolution #65
Resolution Eliminating or Reducing Classified Positions (EGTEAMS)
Resolution #50
2008-2009 Solving the Budget Crisis
2008 Board Actions/Resolutions
At the April 1, 2008, Board of Education meeting, Board members took action on a resolution that will eliminate the possibility of a change to kindergarten class size reduction in the 2008-2009 school year. Kindergarten class size reduction was under consideration as a possible budget cut based on the Governor’s budget proposal.
The change to kindergarten included the reduction of 56 teachers at an ongoing savings to the district of approximately $1.1 million. The proposal was to change kindergarten from the 20:1 student/teacher ratio to the 100-minute model.
After much deliberation, the Board of Education agreed with and approved a recommendation by Superintendent Ladd and district administration to maintain kindergarten class size reduction for at least one more year in 2008/2009 with one time expenditures.
The district will use $1.1 million in reserves to make up the difference of the kindergarten teachers. However, that $1.1 million in reserves is already dedicated to the $25 million in cuts that the district may have to make in 2009-2010. This will put the district in a position of possibly having to cut deeper in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
Due to the uncertainty of the final state budget and future state budgets, the district may only be delaying the cut to kindergarten class size reduction by one year.
Resolution #61
Resolution of Intention to Rescind the Reduction or Elimination of Certain Certificated Services
March 4, 2008 Board of Education Meeting Update
On March 4, 2008 the Elk Grove Unified School District initiated the legally required steps to notify certificated personnel and classified personnel of potential layoffs for the 2008-2009 school year.
California Education Code section 44949 requires that certificated personnel be formally notified in writing by March 15 if there is a possibility that their position may be eliminated in the coming fiscal year. The school district has until May 15 to make a final decision relative to the status of the certificated employees noticed. Classified personnel must be given 45 days notice prior to final action.
The Elk Grove Unified School District is reacting to the Governor’s proposed state budget, which would cut $4.8 billion from state funding of public education in 2008/2009. Those cuts would mean that EGUSD would have to cut $25 million in order to submit a balanced budget to the state as required by law by July 1.
At the March 4th EGUSD Board of Education meeting, the governing board took action on several resolutions directing the associate superintendent of human resources to notify 247 certificated employees and 141 classified employees of the potential reduction in force. The layoff notices represent 137 full-time equivalent certificated positions and 80 full-time equivalent classified positions.
The difference in number between total notices (388) and total positions (217) is because many of the district’s employees are not full-time. For example, two part-time employees may make-up one position. In addition, notifications are based on seniority and start-dates. In several cases, multiple employees have the same seniority date. Therefore, each employee receives a notice. On March 11, the Board of Education will take action on a resolution outlining the tie-breaking criteria for employees with the same start date.
The decision to issue notices represents preliminary projected cuts in response to the governor’s proposed budget unveiled earlier this January. If the potential state reductions to public education change in the coming weeks and months, EGUSD’s proposed cuts would be modified accordingly.
For more information about the positions, please click on the resolutions below.
Resolution #53
Resolution Eliminating/Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #54
Resolution Eliminating/Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #55
Resolution Eliminating/Reducing Classified Positions
Resolution #56
Resolution of Intention to Reduce or Eliminate Certain Certificated Services
