By Jeff Hudson
Enterprise staff writer
The Davis Enterprise

The Davis school board adopted a $74 million 2008-09 budget on Wednesday night, but in the process also eliminated or reduced the jobs of 12 classified employees.

The trustees also created a new "Green Schools" subcommittee, accepted an $18,000 donation from the Davis School Arts Foundation and approved a report on its Nugget Fields property.

Associate Superintendent Bruce Colby presented the budget, which he described as "the hardest one I've done in 20 years of preparing budgets" because "there are still so many unknowns" regarding the money the district ultimately will receive from the state. California's budget probably won't be finalized until August, or perhaps September.

"Eighty percent of our district's revenue comes from the state," Colby reminded the trustees. "We are dependent on the state of California."
The budget shows revenues of $74 million. The district's general fund expenditures comprise $73 million, of which 83 percent will go for salaries and benefits, 6 percent for books and supplies, 10 percent for operating expenses (utilities, copiers, postage, phones) and 1 percent for other expenses.

Colby said "the largest amount of the district's revenue is based on student enrollment and attendance revenue," called ADA, for average daily attendance.

But Colby noted that "the state has underfunded this rate (during) 10 out of the last 15 years ... and this year's state budget includes the assumption of no COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) for the ADA revenue. If the state continues to have a revenue shortfall in future years, we could have more reductions (and) our budget deficit would be greater" as a result.

Colby displayed several scenarios for budgets through 2011, showing the district's deficit potentially growing to more than $4 million if the state does not provide a cost-of-living increase for three consecutive years.

Colby suggested that "cost-of-living adjustment" is a misnomer, since the first 3 percent of the COLA basically covers the step-and-column salary increases — given to teachers as they get more seniority, or earn additional degrees or credentials — and increased utility bills at schools. Actual cost-of-living salary increases, Colby said, come when the COLA goes higher than 3 percent.

Elsewhere on Wednesday's agenda, the trustees approved a resolution trimming a dozen classified positions, most part-time. Eight employees were laid off and another four had their hours reduced. The reductions total the equivalent of 2.5 full-time employees, or about 100 hours per week.

The trustees also created a "Green Schools" subcommittee, which will study energy use, recycling and related issues. Trustee Richard Harris, whose campaign last fall called for a "Green Schools" program, immediately volunteered for the new subcommittee. Trustee Tim Taylor also said he'd like to serve. And student representative Charlotte Krovoza, who attends Da Vinci High School, offered to join the subcommittee as well.

The trustees also received the final report from the committee that recently studied the school district's 9-acre Wildhorse property at Moore Boulevard and Pole Line Road, known to the community as Nugget Fields. The committee concluded that the land is surplus property, not needed for educational purposes. (Birch Lane Elementary is just a few blocks away.)

Tom Lumbrazo, the district's real estate consultant, noted that "some people wanted to keep soccer fields on the site, and that is reflected in the committee's recommendations, even though it may not be very realistic" in financial terms.

Wildhorse committee chairman Bob Schelen said there was also some community interest in cooperative housing or a residential program for senior citizens or Alzheimer's patients on the property.

On another item, Colleen Connolly and Julie Cuetara, representing the Davis School Arts Foundation, presented a check for $18,000. The foundation also raised $5,000 through a Watermelon Music grant, and $4,500 raised through the West Valley Chorale. Together with matching funds from the school district, this will total $43,500 in local funding for school arts projects.