California school districts are in a difficult position. With the downturn in the economy and chronic state budget deficits, they have taken cuts over the past five years. Any “easy” reductions and use of one-time funds have been exhausted.
The dire budget situation and choices in the 44,000-student Sacramento City Unified district are an example – and, unfortunately, not unique.
From 2002 through 2009, Sac City Unified schools chopped $145 million out of what was once a more than $500 million budget.
The last two years have been particularly harsh – cuts of $75 million. The district has used reserves and one-time money, including $51 million in federal stimulus funds. The district has cut 292 teachers, six nurses and five librarians. It has cut 21 management-level people. It has cut clerical staff and aides.
Now the school board has to figure out how to deal with a $31 million shortfall for the 2010-11 school year.
Board members last Thursday voted to approve what they consider to be “last- resort” options: raising kindergarten through third-grade class sizes from 25 students per class to 30, and laying off 340 teachers, 38 school administrators, five school clerical workers, 87 central office workers, and 60 counselors, social workers and psychologists.
But that doesn’t have to happen.
Health coverage is one area to examine for savings. Rather than reducing benefits, consider cost-sharing. Give teachers and other staff some financial stake in their own use of the health care system.
In the United States, private coverage already typically requires cost-sharing through premiums, co-pays and deductibles. Public programs such as Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor also require cost-sharing.
But in Sac City Unified, teachers who choose Kaiser have no co-pay; those who choose Health Net have only a $5 co-pay. In contrast, non-teachers have $15 co-pays for office visits. If all employees accepted $15 co-pays, it would save $1.2 million. That would pay for 16 teachers – or 21 custodians, 12 counselors or 33 instructional aides.
If all Sac City Unified employees contributed $50 per month toward premiums, that would save another $1.9 million, enough for another 25 teachers – or 33 custodians, 19 counselors or 53 instructional aides.
Wouldn’t this be better than layoffs and larger class sizes?
In addition, the superintendent, managers and supervisors have accepted three furlough days. If teachers and other staff accepted furloughs, too, that would save $3.2 million, the equivalent of 43 teachers, or 56 custodians, 32 counselors or 89 instructional aides.
A temporary freeze of automatic “step and column” increases for teachers for their years of service and education would save $2.5 million, or jobs of 32 teachers.
Elsewhere in the state, teachers and staff who don’t want larger class sizes or layoffs are making reasonable concessions. Sacramento teachers and staff also must show that they are part of the solution.