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Lodi Unified School District employees gather to learn the fate of their jobs during Tuesday's board meeting. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)
Lodi Unified School District board passes $246 million budget
Record number of layoffs despite stimulus funds; some librarian, paraeducator jobs saved using yet-to-be received federal money
With a record number of layoffs and a slight increase in class sizes for the next school year, the Lodi Unified School District board of trustees unanimously approved the district's budget on Tuesday. Roughly 83 percent of the $246 million budget next year will pay for employee salaries and benefits.
However, budget revisions are expected to start as soon as the July 7 meeting.
The board decided to save a number of highly discussed positions, and, in separate but related action, voted to rescind 64 certificated layoff notices and 59 in the classified division. Employment callbacks could begin as soon as next week.
Library assistants, librarians and a number of paraeducator positions were spared at the last minute using a creative funding process.
At last week's meeting, trustees first discussed whether to balance the budget using an estimated $10 million in yet-to-be-received federal stimulus money, and made that affirmation Tuesday with the budget adoption.
"I would say, 'Thank you, President Obama.' This is federal dollars in action," trustee Bonnie Cassel said. "This is putting kids first and putting them in front and center of their beloved librarians. This is part of the very, very good news."
However, the money is not expected until next month or even August, more than a month after the district's budget is, by law, due for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Lodi Unified School District budget by the numbers
$246 million:* 2009-10 approved budget.$120 million: Certificated salaries (not including benefits).
$37 million: Classified salaries.
$46 million: Employee benefits.
$9 million: Supplies.
$18 million: Contracted services.
* Numbers rounded to the nearest million.
Source: Lodi Unified School District
"It's not perfect," trustee Calvin Young Jr., said. "Basically (the budget) takes this one-time money and shoves it all in 2009-10. What that does is creates a fiscal imbalance in 2010-11."
Trustee Jeff Thompson, participating via a conference call from a Switzerland hotel lobby, instead referred to the 2009-10 budget as a starting point.
"We have a plan we can adopt, knowing full well that we have some pot holes in the road (that) we need to fix through the budget revision process," he said.
The district expects to receive $7.7 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funding from the federal government. An additional $2.6 million in categorical money was announced last week. That money can be used for specific programs including class-size reductions, or to save jobs on the cutting block.
Under the adopted budget, class sizes will increase, but not by as many students as once projected.
In non-Title 1 schools, there will be two additional students in each class from kindergarten through third grade, and one additional student in fourththrough 12th-grade classes.
Other area districts are seeing far higher increases due to their budget situations, according to Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer, who said that some area schools are increasing their class sizes to as many as 40 students in grades 7 to 12.
The board, with the help of the superintendent's Budget Advisory Committee, has been working to balance the current year's budget while looking ahead to next school year's since the end of January.
Nanci Webber-Johnston, a district K-6 instructional coach, comments on students being forced to use the backsides of staff memos as worksheets because of the district-implemented spending freeze that forced teachers to cut back on school supplies. (Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)
The district is suffering from a drop in enrollment — schools receive per-pupil funding from the state — as well as a multi-million dollar decrease in state revenue. Just last week, officials learned the state would be diverting further funds from district coffers as California grapples with its own $24.3 billion budget shortfall, and there is still a chance the state would keep up to 65 percent of Lodi Unified's transportation funding.
During the budget process, more than 500 district employees were laid off — although more than 100 will be called back before the July 29 start date — and both the superintendent and school board took pay cuts to help balance the budget. Programs, conferences and supplies, including cell phones, have been eliminated, and Turner School has been closed.
In separate action, the board also passed a resolution putting employees on alert that their compensation could be reduced this school year due to on-going financial constraints.
Nancy Weber-Johnston opposes this, pointing out that with supply purchase orders frozen mid-year, many teachers have dipped into their own pockets for things such as pencils and photocopies.
"We've taken our 10 percent. Please don't ask for more," she said.
Although some jobs were saved Tuesday, Kathy Aso was not so lucky. As the computer lab operator at Oakwood Elementary School in Stockton, she was among the additional four classified employees laid off at Tuesday's meeting, but before the 6-1 vote she pleaded with the board to keep her job.
"I have been here for students. ... Some of them have gotten up to hug me," she said. "I hope you will find it in your heart, in your budget, to keep me. I give 200 percent."
Cassel, an outspoken supporter of paraeducators like Aso, voted against the cuts.
On Monday, the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District held a study session to take a closer look at its budget. That board is scheduled to approve the financial plan next Wednesday, while the high school district should adopt theirs in the coming weeks as well.
In other action Tuesday, Lodi trustees:
Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.
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Lou wrote on Jun 25, 2009 6:55 AM:
Last thing, LNS is heavily invested in LUSD...we've got it. You work for LNS, check. LNS like all paper/ink news organizations are pissing away thousands (maybe 10's of thousands) monthly. You have a big investmentment in this crooked board and refuse to print anything that makes them look like who they are: "thugs and common criminals." Well, doesn't the owners of LNS have an ownership interest in the current Board?
Wake-up, get some extra=strength Asprin and stay off the juice. If you start seeing pink anything...call someone, "quick." My advice to your paper, start printing some news. In case you have forgotten, that would be words and stories that are truthful, accurate and correct. "
Lodian wrote on Jun 24, 2009 11:30 PM:
Lou wrote on Jun 24, 2009 6:43 PM:
And your point would be? "
Lodian wrote on Jun 24, 2009 5:10 PM:
Lou wrote on Jun 24, 2009 11:59 AM:
Here's the problem: Ann Cecchetti is a wonderful, loving, kind, competent educator who has enjoyed a life of integrity, trust and values that include hard work and doing things the right way.
Of course she was fired! The kleptocrats who fired her are a bunch of empty suits who have exactly zero interest in children or education. At best these idiots are political hacks whose only ability appears to be to "know someone" "get something on someone" or become better and better at backslapping or backstabbing not eductional administration. The worst, not the best, rise to the top like scum.
So, over the years "our fearless leaders" and their lap dogs tend to take on the same duplicitous and smarmy look of academic thugs who are hiding misfeasance and malfeasance behind constipated smiles and sugar coated political promises that mean next to nothing.
Over the last 15 years or so the entire educational landscape has changed from competent managers and honest Board members that care about "kids" to parasites and worms who are there for the money (ONLY). "
Lodian wrote on Jun 23, 2009 6:00 PM:
Lou wrote on Jun 23, 2009 3:55 PM:
The kleptocrats have been protected for a very long time (aka "The Board"). LNS is the propaganda arm of the School Board. LUSD puts out a press release and LNS just prints it. Investigative reporting, what's that?
Come on...there are some smart people out there. What's the connection? What's the pay off? Think. Who's gettin' what, when, where and how?
I could tell ya' but that's no fun. Think. "
makes you think wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:51 AM:
From 6-21 Stkn Record
SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT HERE - LESS THAN 20 LAYOFFS AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE?
ALSO, SHE STATES THAT AS A RESULT OF GOING 'BACK TO THE CLASSROOM' SHE WILL TAKE A 20% PAY CUT. WHO SAYS TO JAESC STAFF ARE OVERPAID?
A Lodi Unified administrator has filed a grievance alleging district officials targeted women over 50 and black employees for layoffs while making budget cuts, and she claims upper management has retaliated against her for speaking up about it at a January Board of Trustees meeting.
Curriculum coordinator Anne Cecchetti sent trustees and district leaders an 11-page grievance letter early this week claiming her department was the target of budget cuts because its staff is comprised mostly of woman over the age of 50. The district also laid off black employees instead of white employees of similar stature, her letter says.
The district made 230 districtwide layoffs official on Tuesday, but fewer than 20 at the district office where Cecchetti claims discrimination is present. Teachers and classified staff are being laid off based on tenure, but the same criteria was not used for administrators "
dyan wrote on Jun 22, 2009 1:35 PM:
Lodian wrote on Jun 22, 2009 9:50 AM:
so sad wrote on Jun 22, 2009 9:17 AM:
Lets just hope the ones that are running are not worse then the current members!
July begins a new fiscal year and I bet the cuts will be coming again, round2.
I wonder why there was nothing printed about the pending lawsuit in Lodi news but it was printed in stockton? "
Lodian wrote on Jun 21, 2009 12:47 PM:
Lou wrote on Jun 21, 2009 9:52 AM:
Just wanted you teachers, classified and other assorted peons to know how much the top-line administrators thank you for balancing their mismanagement on your backs. You paid for everything.
Tell me, if you subtract 12% of the teachers; 18% of classified (as in fired, gone, they don't work here anymore. Then deduct all the benifit payments you would have been bound to pay them (taxes and health care)...
Then, subtract all the teachers "pushed" into retirement who will now be paid out of their pensions not district accounts.
If you add up all the aforementioned subtractions, doesn't that come to nearly the entire 25 million shortfall?
Whoops, it does. So, again, you should be thanked anytime soon by the district and all the highly paid memo-writers who now get the same pay and get to "manage" about 17% less bodies.
Also, someone needs to send a thank you to sue over at the union. She actually thanked these fine folks for not taking more. "
Lou wrote on Jun 21, 2009 9:35 AM:
"NO BAD BUDGET LEFT BEHIND"
This board needs to know that an adminstrative dollar is not the same as an instructional dollar. They (the Board) currently seem to be of the belief that all dollars are fungible and substitutable. More worrison, they seem to believe the integrity of keeping top line, highly compensated administratorsis is more important than keeping enough teachers on the job to do the job. Lodi Unified's raison d' etre (reason for being) is teaching and learning not fiefdom building and lavish pay and perks for the non-working few.
Most top line administrators deliberately isolate themselves from the classroom and (by their conduct) tell us they don't give a damn about kids anyway. If you have time, look up the Districts: Mission and Visson statements. As modest as they are, they speak of the needs of children, not the needs of administrators.
Four members of the School Board are up for re-election next year, maybe it's time for regime change. "
Lou wrote on Jun 21, 2009 9:26 AM:
So what's the final analysis? Well, just a guess, just spit-balling here...I think we got had, bamboozled, hoodwinked, tricked, and if you want to get a little nasty, perhaps we were defrauded. Since garden variety fraud of which I speak is "knowing representation" maybe the word fraud will suffice
Reprinted from www.seelodi.com
NO BAD BUDGET LEFT BEHIND....
Lodi Unified's balanced budget...magic or did we just take next year's funding and put it into this year's pocket? "
Lou wrote on Jun 21, 2009 9:16 AM:
So, now "that it's over", what really happened, who won? Well the teachers got laid off tothe tune of about 12% of their total number. Classified fared less well with 18% of their members beign fired. How about those administrators, how did they do? Well, off hand, I'd say pretty well. Aside from a handful of people in curriculum nothing has changed much. The District still has about a 150 principals, vice principals and assistant principals. Although some asistants, assistants to assistants and their secretaries got nibbled at, that's about it. I don't think they felt our pain.
How about those top-line adminstrators..
the one's who have no school age children, the one's who have no contact with children or can name five children out of our 30,000 that they know outside the realm of suspending them or expelling them. Simple question, if these top line administrators left for Bombay India for the next year, who would notice? Who would miss them? Would their sudden departure affect even on child's education or life? "
commonsense wrote on Jun 19, 2009 7:34 AM:
so sad wrote on Jun 18, 2009 1:41 PM:
what22 wrote on Jun 18, 2009 1:09 PM:
so sad wrote on Jun 18, 2009 11:56 AM:
They sure snuck in those administrators didn't they on the sly !
What about F&P we are not building anything why are we so heavily staffed there?
I say we vote them all out! "
Dirt Claude wrote on Jun 18, 2009 8:29 AM:
so sad wrote on Jun 17, 2009 10:25 PM:
I am voting every board member out next election!
Except for Thompson and Cassell.The rest are good ol boys!
you could hire 6 classified to 1 dmin at the District office! "
Contrapasso wrote on Jun 17, 2009 9:20 PM:
Contrapasso wrote on Jun 17, 2009 9:18 PM:
Pat Maple wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:19 PM:
Pat Maple wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:15 PM:
Ask someone...anyone...for their checkbook or piggy bank and see what they say. Now ask your district for an accounting of where they spent their reserves...ask any district. "
Lou wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:10 PM:
dogs4you wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:00 PM:
dyan wrote on Jun 17, 2009 7:52 PM:
sam wrote on Jun 17, 2009 4:07 PM:
I do agree that he would not only never charge the district for such a call, but he also would never miss such an important meeting.
Our district needs him. "
Whoa Nellie! wrote on Jun 17, 2009 3:11 PM:
But, it's obvious that Contro doesn't know Jeff like I do. Jeff would never, ever, think of charging the district for such an expense.
What LUSD needs is an outside efficiency consultant to analyze the district and make specific management cuts. Currently there is mistrust from the teachers, parents, public, everyone... One upper management position will pay for almost two teaching spots, and probably three librarians. "
Jennifer Bonnett wrote on Jun 17, 2009 1:09 PM:
takealook wrote on Jun 17, 2009 12:56 PM:
Contrapasso wrote on Jun 17, 2009 12:36 PM:
Dirt Claude wrote on Jun 17, 2009 12:24 PM:
taxpayer2 wrote on Jun 17, 2009 10:57 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.