SVUSD Cutting Staff to Balance Budget, Saves Music

The local school district my kids came through, like school districts all over California, is having money troubles:

Saddleback Valley Unified this week will deliver layoff warnings for about 170 jobs, including at least 110 classroom teachers, bringing the district about $8 million closer to bridging a $28.6 million budget gap.

Trustees on Tuesday pulled $4.4 million from an insurance change to ensure funding for elementary music programs, library services and 11 assistant principal posts, but left on the cut list adult school programs, including those for developmentally disabled adults, as well as stipends for work in middle and high school choral music, drama, yearbook and journalism programs.

The pink slips will go out for 110 certificated posts, which include teachers, and about 60 classified jobs, which include custodians, secretaries, carpenters and campus supervisors. Since some jobs are part time, more than 170 people will face job losses if the district confirms the cuts by the state's May 15 deadline.

Still, the district is seeking $24 million more in employee concessions – furloughs, pay cuts and benefit changes – with the idea that it could reduce layoffs if it achieves all of them or if the governor's revised budget proposals in May present a better funding scenario.

"It's 113 days until June 30," said Stephen McMahon, assistant superintendent for business services. "By that time, we have to have a balanced budget in place. Unless we have that, we will face fiscal takeover."

There was a glimmer of good news in the District's actions - music was spared:

Community members who packed the trustee meeting chambers applauded when the district decided to keep music, the principals and the limited library hours it provides.

"We'll move forward to move those items back into the budget," said Don Sedgwick, president of the SVUSD board of trustees. "We are revising our list knowing that we will have to make more cuts in May."...

Mike Mekata, an elementary instrumental music teacher, rejoiced when the program was retained.

"We were very relieved and quite happy," said Mekata, a 30-year teacher who shuttles among five elementary schools in the district helping to inspire between 2,000 and 3,000 students to pursue music education. "I think it means a lot that they would have thought enough of us to be put back into the ledger."

The program costs the district $740,000 a year.

Money well spent, said Pat Wayne, a Lake Forest parent, part of Saddleback Alliance for Arts Education.

"I think it's huge," she said. "The arts are a core subject according to 'No Child Left Behind.' This is a core curriculum. The only arts Saddleback has to protect is instrumental music. If they cut that, they will have no arts."

It seems like music is always the first thing to go and given the quality of the music program in this district I'm glad they're keeping it...at least through this round of cutbacks. Eliminating music would be a tragedy in a district that has so many quality performers, bands and orchestras.

When my son graduated last June I wrote a post praising the SVUSD music program and the impact it had on my family. You can read it here.