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Conejo school board votes to cut spending, jobs
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More from Breaking NewsThe Conejo Valley Unified School District board voted unanimously on Tuesday to cut spending and eliminate positions to help reduce an anticipated $4.5 million budget shortfall in the 208-09 school year.
The board held a budget study session last week, but made their final decision during Tuesday night's regular meeting.
To cover the shortfall, the board approved transferring workers' compensation funds, eliminated deferred maintenance contributions and cut 15 teaching positions— a move that would save the district $2.7 million.
The board also approved the elimination of three custodial positions, which would save the district $168,000, and to eliminate vacant positions, including a full-time accounting technician and a media center clerk.
The board also decided to cut $912,000 by eliminating several special education teaching positions in middle and high schools, a coordinator job and an orientation-mobility assistant.
The board will have to approve their final adopted budget by July 1, Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Baarstad said.
Although this first round of fiscal cuts leaves school programs largely untouched, the board will have to consider an additional $1.4 million in cuts for the 2009-10 school year to prevent the closure of University and Meadows schools.
The board voted in March to shutter the two elementary schools by fall 2009. The board will consider whether to cut school programs or proceed with plans to close the schools at their next meeting at 6 p.m. on June 17 at 1400 E. Janss Road in Thousand Oaks.
In other news, the board unanimously approved school boundaries, which would transfer current University School students to either Wildwood or Weathersfield Schools.
The board also discussed potential options for Meadows School, which include keeping the campus open and creating an Arts Magnet School, closing the school and transferring students to Lang Ranch or Westlake Hills schools, providing Meadows parents with priority choice to transfer to another school, or develop the campus into a charter school.
No decision was made concerning Meadows School at Tuesday's meeting, but the issue will be discussed at the board's next meeting on June 17.
Posted by SpiderWoman on June 4, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So cut the teachers jobs and custodians and a couple office people. Where are the overpaid administrators, how come they don't cut one or two of them instead.
Posted by sediaz on June 5, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know some of these cuts are pretty harsh and I dont like seeing any layoffs. But everyone keeps saying we should run the district like a business. If that's the case, when businesses are in trouble, people get laid off; it's part of business. If Amgen kept all their people, they would go bankrupt. Where would T.O. be then?
So to try to keep our district in tact, rather than closing schools, some layoffs would be needed. I'm also not saying they are selecting the right jobs, but then again they arent selecting the right schools to close.
Keep in mind these jobs may have to be cut in the future anyways due to budget shortfalls.
The problem lies with the District and the inability to come up with newer ways to increase funds. We need to look in that direction.
Also, if you think about it... it's easier to re-hire staff than it is to re-open schools.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Posted by justamomof3 on June 5, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
With the projected continual decline in school enrollment and budget cuts. Unfortunately, it does seem logical and responsible for the school district to make cuts with their employees as well.
I too attended the school board meeting named in this article. With all the hoopla these past several months it never occurred to me until a speaker stood up and spoke about the cuts in the secondary level of education. A light went on. This budget crisis encompasses Kindergarten through the Twelth grade. So, why is it that the primary / elementary schools have been the sole target in this process???
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