Over the last few months, CEEF has received many questions about CUSD’s budget. In an effort to help keep our community informed, we have put together the following primer on the current funding situation.
FAQ’s About the Budget
CEEF recently posed the following frequently asked questions to the District. Here are the District’s responses:
How does the uncertainty of the state budget affect CUSD?
The uncertainty makes planning very difficult. By law all school districts must present a balanced budget by the end of June. It is unclear how the Governor and the Legislature will end up solving the $26 billion state budget deficit. We may not know anything until June…or maybe even as late as October! The Superintendent sent a letter to the parent community on March 11, 2011 that outlines as much information that is known at the moment. In case you missed it, the letter is available here.
What is the worst-case budget scenario for CUSD?
If the state June ballot measure fails or doesn’t even make the ballot this June, the District will face an annual funding shortfall between -$2.89 million and -$7.81 million. The District has posted budget information at www.cupertino.k12.ca.us
What items are being proposed to be cut for the 2011-12 school year?
The Board of Education has approved a budget reduction notification list that could yield up to $5.90 million in ongoing budget cuts. These reductions include:
- 90 teacher positions (including 5 middle school counselors)
- 27 custodial, instructional assistant, library & tech media clerk, and program coordinator positions
How do we save CSR and keep our primary classes at 20:1?
The District is committed to protecting as many employees and programs as possible; however, given the uncertainty of the state budget cuts, it is impossible to guarantee a specific class size.
Will there be furlough days next year?
Maybe. The District and the employee organizations are meeting jointly to discuss furlough days and other negotiated items.
What is Measure C? Will it solve the problem?
Measure C is a new local funding measure approved by voters on May 3, 2011. Measure C provides our schools with an additional stable source of revenue projected at $4.4 million annually over six years that cannot be taken away by the state. Depending on the magnitude of the state cuts, this new revenue will be applied to help solve our budget shortfall completely or toward bridging our budget gap.
What can parents do?
Stay informed at www.cupertino.k12.ca.us and support CEEF.
Submit your own question...
CUSD Budget Information
- Superintendent’s Letter to the Community – March 11, 2011
- CUSD Budget Presentation – February 8, 2011
- 2010-2011 Adopted Budget
- 2010-2011 First Interim Report (December)
- 2009-2010 Annual Financial Report
Understanding School and District Budgets
- How California’s Schools Get their Money (PDF 1.7Mb)
- The School District Budget Process (PDF 872Kb)
- The Basics of School Finance (PDF 188Kb)
How much did we raise from Great Schools Week: 2010-2011?
Great Schools Week was a resounding success! Together with Grocery Days, last year’s Great Schools Week netted $45,000 in donations for our students. These funds are being distributed, on a per pupil basis, to all 25 schools for discretionary use to support school programs. Thank you to the 140+ merchants who participated and to all of you who participated by shopping and dining out to help the students! This was a truly community wide effort.
Media Links
“Great Schools Week” – Mercury News | February 10, 2011
“Uncertain Budgeting” – Mercury News | February 13, 2011
“CUSD Budget” – Mercury News | February 17, 2011
“Pink Slips”– Mercury News | March 14, 2011