CUSD Budget Update

CUSD Budget Update

A Capo parent sent the following information:

In an effort to gather input from parents, community members, and staff regarding budget cuts, CUSD has created an online survey that can be accessed at:  http://elisten.capousd.org/surveys/CommunityInput/comminput.html

Please complete this very brief survey and offer your input. Listed below is an example; feel free to incorporate and/or include your own ideas.

Page one: Please indicate your idea to INCREASE the amount of money coming into CUSD. 

  1. Eliminate "deputy superintendent" positions and, where possible, combine job responsibilities to eliminate additional, redundant administrative positions.
  2. Where legally feasible, eliminate all the free meals that are currently offered at several school sites year-round. This is the job of social services, not CUSD.
  3. Where legally feasible, eliminate all non-essential K-12 education programs. These would include the adult education programs such as "baby yoga," "why do we have angels?" "beginning bridge," etc., classes. This would also eliminate the high cost of providing facilities for these non-essential classes and services. CUSD is supposed to be K-12 education, not baby-adulthood education.
  4. Sell the facilities at which the adult education programs are located to generate revenue for the general fund to support the basic classrooms and programs that we are supposed to be funding.

What aspects of this idea do you feel are potentially positive?

The savings realized by eliminating wasteful and redundant programs such as year-round free meals for entire families and the non-essential adult education programs will result in tremendous cost savings and will directly increase the general fund.

What negative impact/disadvantages might there be if the district implemented this idea?

CUEA and CUMA members will be unhappy initially but, in this economic climate, it is not sensible or feasible to continue the status quo of automatically increasing salaries and benefits while classroom funding is decreasing at such a rapid pace.

Page two: Please indicate your idea to DECREASE spending within CUSD (which will result in savings).  

  1. Immediately halt all "step and column" increases and absorption of increases to insurance premiums for CUEA and CUMA members until financial situation improves.
  2. Eliminate conflicts of interest inherent in the labor negotiation process by assigning district labor negotiators who have no ties, personal or otherwise, to the CUEA and to the CUMA. CUMA benefits should not simply be "tacked on" to the negotiated CUEA benefits as has been done in the past. Rather, they should be negotiated separately and again, by a district negotiator with no ties, personal or otherwise, to the CUMA. This will eliminate the inherent conflict of interest that has existed in CUSD with respect to labor negotiations, thus leading to real savings in the area of comp and benefits, which comprise the majority of CUSD spending.
  3. Resumes for all administrative positions should be collected and compared to the job description for each to ensure the employee is qualified for that position, to ensure that future hires are qualified for the position to which they have applied or are assigned and to eliminate duplication of responsibilities.

What are the potential positive impacts this idea will create? (e.g., amount of money saved, etc.)

The suggestions above will eliminate waste, redundancy and conflicts of interest at the administrative level, which will result in a substantial cost savings through holding the line on increases in comp and benefits that we cannot afford. As salaries and benefits are approximately 80% of the CUSD budget, this could result in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in savings over the next year or two.

What negative impact/disadvantages might there be if the district implemented this idea? see answer to question #3