Message from Superintendent Patrick Godwin Regarding the State Budget Crisis

March 20, 2009

Following the noisy and emotional reactions to the passage of a state budget package for the remainder of this year and for 2009-10, our state leaders have been eerily quiet.  Perhaps they are taking a breath before moving forward, or perhaps they are waiting for the next fiscal problem to surface.

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District has a tentative plan for preparing a budget for the 2009-10 school year and for addressing our $3.2 million shortfall in state funding for the current (2008-09) school year.

Our current year's gap will be filled primarily by savings created due to a spending "chill" that was implemented in the early fall.  The savings generated by not filling some positions and delaying or canceling some goods and services will allow us to get through the rest of the year.  We have all benefited from the creativity and sacrifice of many of our valued staff members.  Without their efforts, we would have real problems maintaining the quality of our schools and programs until the end of the year.

The tentative plan for 2009-10 can be found at our Budget Central website (click on 2009-10 Proposed Budget Reductions).  The plan is "tentative" in that we are still waiting for clarification of some aspects of the state budget and the federal stimulus package.  However, at this point the projected revenues are not expected to increase, and we anticipate that we will need to implement $6,677,000 in reductions. 

Additionally, if the state budget measures are not approved in May, the impact on schools may become even more severe.  The potential that the budget measure might fail, and/or that the state's revenue picture may continue to decline have caused us to issue over fifty "precautionary" lay-off notices in addition to those required by the items on the proposed list for 2009-10. 

With little hope for outside (state and federal) assistance, any restorations of programs, positions, and/or services on the reductions list will have to come from local sources such as freezing salary increases or furlough days.  These items are negotiable.  The District's administrators have committed to match any actions taken by the Folsom Cordova Education Association (FCEA), the union that represents the District's teachers.  To date, FCEA has not agreed to any changes in compensation or work year that would allow us to keep more of our valued employees. 

There is nothing to like on the list of potential reductions for the 2009-10 school year.  Even what appear to be "easy" cuts that do not require a reduction in employees will lead to some diminished service, opportunity, or facility maintenance.

Another major problem with the tentative plan is that almost half the reductions come from short-term savings.  As we look out to 2010-11 and 2011-12, the short term revenues begin to disappear, and we will need to either find more on-going reductions in the present year or plan for more cuts in services in the future years.  To learn more about the projections for 2010-11 and 2011-12 see "Multi-year Projections" at Budget Central.

As we move toward important dates in the budget development process (see Important Dates About the Budget), including adoption of a budget for 2009-10 by June 30, we will continue to monitor the state budget, the federal stimulus package, and our internal processes and options.  Our goal will be to maximize the opportunities for our students while maintaining the long-term financial integrity of the District.

Please keep in mind that while we can take some comfort in knowing the District's budget picture has improved from the initial projections in December and January, the funding for public education in California is still well below the national average. Students in most states benefit from smaller class sizes, additional support staff, and increased services and opportunities. If we want to protect the future for our children, state, and nation, we must make a greater investment in education.   

Patrick Godwin