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By Lynne Bronstein
Observer Reporter 

 


CCUSD Deficit Shrinks

Like Culver City’s own budget, the 2013-2014 budget for the Culver City School Board, approved at the Board’s meeting Tuesday night, is a much better-looking budget than in recent years, especially in regard to the deficit.

“Give [CCUSD Superintendent] David LaRose some credit,” said Assistant Superintendent of Finance Mike Reynolds. “He locked us into a room and wouldn’t let us out until [our efforts] had borne some fruit.”

Reynolds noted that CCUSD began the fiscal year 2012-2013 with an estimated general fund budget deficit of $5,013,989. Proposition 30 reduced that deficit by approximately three million and later to two million. Through careful reviewing of every expenditure, the projected deficit was eventually reduced to just over one million for the next fiscal year.

“We have continued to analyze our revenues and expenditures throughout the course of thus fiscal year, and our projections for the current year deficit have now dropped to $432, 337,” said Reynolds.

Using the same detailed analysis for the coming 2013-2014 fiscal year, Reynolds says the projection for next year is for a deficit of $457,157.

When the governor signs the state budget, a possible conversion of the funding formula to LCFF (Local Control Formula) may add about $500,000 to the 2013-2014 revenues, which could produce a projected surplus of about $50,000.

“It really is a hopeful note,” said Reynolds.

Key budget assumptions included:

Revenue limit funding was based on an ADA projection of 6,509 due to declining enrollment.

Federal revenues were budgeted with federal sequestration cuts of 5 per cent.

State revenues were budgeted based on Tier III program funding levels and backfill by State of $50,000 for cuts to Federal Special Education funding.

The District is applying for a state mandated block grant which will mean an additional $300,000 in state funding.

Local revenues were budgeted at a slight increase related to rental and interest income.

On the expenditure side, salaries and benefits will be increased to reflect step and column increases as well as new positions to be added (including a music teacher and a nurse).

Among the questions the Board had for Reynolds, Board president Kathy Paspalis had one regarding enrollment.

Noting that some years ago the District had put a cap on enrollment in CCUSD schools due to overcrowding, Paspalis wanted to know if it was currently too early in the new school year to create an enrollment cap.

She gave the example that “if we have a cap of 500 and anticipate x number of late students, are we anticipating [what the number will be] by October?”

Other Board members agreed that there should be some “trend data” rather than piecemeal information about student numbers.

Reynolds thought the data gathering should involve Culver City High, where, because of the students who graduate, there can be “more creativity and latitude” about setting an enrollment cap.

But Karlo Silbiger opined that the number of students at the high school is simply too much.

Recalling that he’d heard at one point there were over two thousand students enrolled at CCHS, Silbiger asked for a cap of 500, studies of physical space available, such as portable classrooms, and the possibility of dividing the school into smaller groups.

Reynolds agreed to enter into further conversation on that topic.

Another feature of the meeting was the Board saying goodbye to Assistant Superintendent Eileen Carroll, who is retiring from CCUSD after two years as a superintendent, preceded by two years as principal of Farragut Elementary.

“I feel fortunate to have served in this community,” said Carroll. “I feel blessed to have served where it made a difference, not just academically, but in the arts and other facets of needs that contribute to the whole child.”

Carroll said that after retiring she hopes to spend more time with her family and playing golf.

“But if I can be of any help, I would be happy to come back and visit.”

 

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