Budget News 4

Budget News #4 The legislature has passed a final budget. However they did not pass authorization to reduce levy equalization (extra state support for property poor districts like Marysville) which is required to balance the state budget. At this point, it is uncertain whether they will reconvene … to make minor or major changes … or whether they let us keep the levy equalization money. Depending on what they do, Marysville could receive an additional $400,000. Hopefully the legislature will decide … earlier rather than later … on a final budget so we know what to expect. We believe, from the current information we have, that the state budget will result in $2.4 to $3.4 million in Basic Education cuts for Marysville – plus additional cuts in our specially funded programs. We do not yet have information on how fiscal stabilization (stimulus) funds may help. There is a K-20 conference call on Thursday to distribute detailed tables and explain the budget face to face (virtually) with Q and A. That information will hopefully give us what we need to begin developing new priorities to balance the district budget.

Our goal is to take a preliminary budget to the board on May 11th. We would then spend the next three weeks taking input and finalizing the priorities in the budget … hopefully by June 1st. Unfortunately, we will need to notify certificated staff of RIFs prior to May 15th due to uncertainty regarding funding for several positions for next year. o The board resolution on April 20th authorized UP TO 81 FTE in RIFs. o The May 11th budget priorities may recommend closer to 50 FTE in RIFs. - (those notices will go out before May 15th) o The board decisions by June 1st may reduce that number further. - (meaning that some from the RIF list may be recalled). The goal is to give the budget priorities to the board on May 11th. Following that there will be several school and community meetings. The May 18th board meeting will serve as a public forum. At the May 26th work study the board will have an opportunity to change recommended priorities. The revised board priorities would then go to the board on June 1st. If the board feels comfortable with that budget, we could then start to rehire some teachers that had been RIFed. June 2nd would also serve as a starting point for beginning to notify classified staff who may be RIFed. Typically we try to notify classified staff before the end of the school year. If we can hold to the above time line we would begin that notification two weeks earlier.

- Larry Public comment on the budget is welcome at the board sessions on May 5 th (30 minutes), May 11th (30 minutes), May 18th (Two hours), May 26th (30 minutes). In addition, comments sent to [email protected] will be forwarded to the board members. PS: Once again, early notifications of plans to retire, resign or take a leave help avoid the anxiety of a RIF notice for colleagues.

Q. Will there be a district wide communication to families? Yes, we will send a schedule of opportunities for community input. In addition, all budget information is posted on our web site. Q. What about voluntary transfers? Do they happen soon? Voluntary transfers usually happen when there are enough openings to allow opportunities to begin moving people. Last year we were opening Grove and therefore had some open positions to move transfers into. This year we have the opposite situation … too few positions for the staff we have. Voluntary transfers have seniority rights to open positions. In most cases RIFs help reduce overstaffing but do not create open positions. When an open position is created, a voluntary transfer can occur only after: 1) All unassigned staff with the appropriate endorsement for the open position have been placed, and 2) All RIFed staff who have designated the category that relates to the open position and who have the appropriate endorsement for the open position have been placed. 3) In some instances it may be in the best interest to allow a transfer that would open up a position for someone who has been RIFed. These cases will be reviewed individually between the District and MEA. Then unassigned teachers will select positions. When/if RIFed teachers come back they would be assigned to any remaining open positions. Voluntary transfers depend on open positions. Given the uncertainty over RIFs and unassigned staff, and later decisions on retirements, it is likely to be mid July or later before we know where or if we have open positions. Q. Will the National Board Certification Stipend be continued for next year? As far as we know the National Board Certificate Stipend will continue for next year. It is included as a line item for $5090 on the OSPI budget work sheet sent a few days ago. Q. What are the dates for the building meetings on budget? Jim Baker, Executive Director of Finance, will be coming to buildings to present the budget and respond to questions. His schedule is: May 13 @ Cedarcrest Library (3:00pm); May 13th @ Service Center Board Room (6:00pm); May 19 @M-P Library (2:30pm); May 21 @ Quil Ceda Library (3:30pm).