School board passes budget, now waits for state

Chantal M. Lovell

Jun. 24, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- REDLANDS -- The Redlands Unified School District Board of Education adopted the 2009-2010 budget Tuesday, knowing the document means little until the revised state budget passes.

"By law, the district is supposed to pass its budget by June 30," said Vincent Christakos, assistant superintendent, Business Services. "We have to use all these fuzzy assumptions."

The adopted budget is based on what the district expects funding levels to be with the information it has been given thus far, but was presented under the caveat that all information is subject to change.

The district is preparing to cut $20.6 million during the 2009-2010 school year. Once the state passes a revised budget and the district knows exactly how much funding it will receive, the board will adopt a revised budget.

"It's irrelevant that we pass it (now), but we have to," said board president Pat Kohlmeier.

Christakos, who presented the budget, said the district should receive around $6,400 per student based on funding of prior years and inflation, but only expects to receive around $5,200 for the 2009-2010 school year.

"This is definitely much worse than what we've ever experienced before," Christakos said in terms of the overall budget.

The district will revise its budget once the new state budget is approved, which Christakos said needs to be by June 30. If the budget is not approved by that date,

the district does not expect to receive state funding, and will be forced to operate through its own "mechanisms."

"We will be spending time this summer looking at and beginning to identify items for changes, reductions," said superintendent of schools Lori Rhodes.

While cuts to specific programs were not discussed, Christakos did note the district has been given flexibility in some areas. The state, Christakos said, will allow the district flexibility in whether and how to use funding for 42 categorical programs. This gives the district additional opportunities to move funds around and choose how to spend its funds.

"We really don't know exactly how many of those programs we will use flexibility on yet," Christakos said. "Everything is open, we are going to have conversations on all of those things. There are some programs that will probably stay just the way they are, because that's how we've chosen to use the money. But there may be other opportunities to spend less on some programs and use the money to cover something else."

The district will use federal stimulus money, around $11.5 million, to cushion immediate cuts.

"We are planning on using the stimulus money," Rhodes said. "That will allow us to be able to spend this next year trying to cut during the year, trying to push as much of that stimulus money into a year out from now as we can. We're definitely, a year from now, looking at significant cuts, even greater than we've already implemented this year. We have several more years of this coming forward."

The district reminded those in attendance the RUSD is careful with its funds, and will continue to make thoughtful spending choices.

"Clearly, we have been able to do a lot of good things for our students, for our employees, on a shoestring," Rhodes said.

"We've had a good year, as it's been pointed out, and I know our staff will make next year as good as it can be with what we have to work with," said board member Ron McPeck. "That's the one thing we don't seem to run out of in this district, and that's dedicated people who work hard and do the job that's almost impossible."

The district is unsure how long it will have to pass a revised budget once the state issues its new budget, but expects to have at least 45 days, Christakos said.

"The expenditure side obviously has a lot of difficult cuts to be talked about, to be made," Christakos said. "Prepare for another summer of uncertainty. We have to try to maintain as much reserves as we can. We have to prepare for the May revisions because that's the only thing we know right now and develop some options and some backup plans, and of course, be conservative."

The budget presentation should be available at the district's Web site Wednesday, Christakos said.

E-mail Staff Writer Chantal M. Lovell at clovell@redlandsdailyfacts.com

Newstex ID: 35991244