The Davis school board glumly approved a batch of 50 additional layoff notices on Thursday night. The pink slips form a possible “all cuts” approach to narrowing the school district’s current $3.5 million structural deficit.

But the potential program reductions that the pink slips entail would also mean more crowded classrooms across the school district, longer lines to see a counselor, and a dramatic reduction in vice principals at the junior high level.

The school board approved the layoff list — with no enthusiasm — in order to give the district’s human resources department time to notify employees by the state-mandated March 15 deadline. But several school board trustees stressed that they are hoping that at least some of the layoff notices will be rescinded later in the spring if contract concessions are negotiated between the district and teachers as well as other employees.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Best introduced the layoff list, saying “It is my unfortunate duty to bring you an additional draft resolution for elimination of particular kinds of services to deal with our district’s structural deficit.”

This layoff list is over and above the December list of nearly 87 positions that will receive layoff notices in the event that Davis area voters do not approve Measure C, the five-year parcel tax that is now in the midst of a vote-by-mail election that will conclude March 6.

The latest list includes:

Elementary

* Rescinding class size reduction: 31 full-time equivalent

Secondary

* English: 1.4 FTE

* Math: 1.4 FTE

* Physical education: 1.6 FTE

* Social science: 1.4 FTE

* Science (life): 0.6 FTE

* Science (physical): 0.6 FTE

* Art: 0.6 FTE

* Computers/business technology: 0.2 FTE

* Regional Occupational Program food sciences: 0.2 FTE

* ROP networking: 0.2 FTE

* ROP funded video/film: 0.2 FTE

* ROP environmental science: 0.2 FTE

* Photography: 0.2 FTE

* Spanish: 1.0 FTE

* French: 0.4 FTE

* Music: 0.6 FTE

* Instructional services

* Secondary counseling services: 3.5 FTE

* School social workers: 1.0 FTE

* Psychologist: 1.0 FTE

Administrative services

* Elementary administrator on special assignment: 1.0 FTE

* Junior high school vice principals: 1.8 FTE

TOTAL: 50.1 FTE

Best told the trustees that if Measure C fails — and the district loses the $6.5 million in annual revenue that Measure C would provide — and Measure A, the two-year emergency parcel tax approved by Davis area voters, then expires in 2013, and the district ultimately takes an “all-cuts” approach to reducing its $3.5 million structural deficit, the results would be “cataclysmic” in terms of the district’s academic program.

Under that scenario, class size would swell to 33 students in grades K-3, 34 or more students in grades 4-6, and as many as 40 students in some junior high and high school classrooms. The student-to-counselor ratio would rise to around 500 students per counselor.

School board president Susan Lovenburg, after hearing Best’s grim description, said “It’s not a pretty picture.”

“No, it is not a pretty picture,” Best agreed. “We are really getting down to the bone now.”

Best added that the school district really only has two options: increase revenue or decrease expenditures. With little prospect of increasing revenue on the horizon, “really our only tool is to decrease expenses, and that means reducing staff,” he said.

Gail Mitchell, president of the Davis Teachers Association, asked rhetorically “What are our priorities, if we’re looking at class sizes in the 40s at the high school, and 31-32-33 students in grades K-3? Our responsibility is to educate all our students, and that starts in our core program. English and math classes with 40 students? I really don’t accept that. I’m shocked.” Tears welled up in Mitchell’s eyes, her voice faltered, and she stepped away from the microphone.

“It is upsetting, Gail,” Lovenburg agreed.

But with no other alternative on the table, the school board approved the new resolution calling for another 50.1 layoff notices on a unanimous vote. “It stinks,” said trustee Tim Taylor, as he made the motion, which was seconded by trustee Richard Harris.

Elsewhere on the agenda, the school board approved a plan by Davis Adult School Principal Laurel Clumpner that will basically move the Davis Adult School into a largely autonomous financial position by raising fees for certain classes, and offering some of the Adult School’s more popular classes in the summer, in addition to the traditional academic year.

Clumpner said she’s watched with concern as financially strapped school districts up and down the state have shut down their adult ed programs. The Davis school district has reduced adult school funding from around $300,000 several years ago to around $50,000 now.

“I realized that my best bet was to not need any money from the district,” Clumpner said.

“In January, we started charging a small fee” for certain Adult School courses, “and our attendance actually increased,” Clumpner said. She added that many of the Adult School’s courses, including computer courses for adults, physical fitness courses, courses in world languages and other topics, are quite popular and should be able to sustain themselves financially through a combination of “a small increase in fees, and decreases in costs wherever possible.”

Lovenburg observed wryly, “The moral of the story is to separate yourself from dependency on state funding — and you’ll grow.”

— Reach Jeff Hudson at [email protected] or (530) 747-8055.

Comments

comments