San Marcos School District Adds Jobs
By Brenda Duran, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.
Apr. 7–SAN MARCOS — The creation of several jobs in the San Marcos Unified School District will add $200,000 to a $3.2 million budget shortfall in the 2006-07 fiscal year, according to a draft of the budget.
The school board approved the new positions on March 27, the same day it was presented with the draft budget. The jobs are a principal and office manager for the planned 11th elementary school on Oleander Avenue, a new assistant principal for San Elijo Middle School, a data analyst and a secondary director.
The proposed spending plan also includes increases in money for special education, which experienced cuts last year.
The board is set to adopt a budget on June 12.
School board members chose to approve the positions from a list of priorities it was presented in February, said Gary Hamels, assistant superintendent for business services, Thursday.
The list included positions that were not approved, including a “Partnership for Success” coordinator, to oversee the program with Cal State San Marcos, a human resources clerk, an office clerk and a payroll technician, Hamels said.
Based on the district’s projected growth of 470 students next year, and a 20 percent increase in the cost of health benefits, the district says it is looking at a total projected budget of $119 million. Revenues are projected to be $116 million, an increase of $7 million over last year, and expenditures are expected to be $119 million, an increase of $9.3 million over last year, said Hamels.
The top expenses for the 2006-07 school year include an estimated $102 million for salaries and benefits, staffing for the new San Elijo elementary school, and textbooks.
The budget also calls for the addition of seven certified special education teachers, nine aides and two bus drivers, said Hamels.
Special education transportation will receive $422,200, up from $400,600 last year.
Last year, special education aides’ hours were cut from five a day to three a day to help the district save $150,000.
“This year, we are doing the opposite,” said Hamels.
Hamels said the district’s top budget concerns are the growing deficit and increases in the cost of medical benefits that are expected to take effect in January.
The district currently provides 1,400 employees and their families with full health benefits, said Hamels.
“Looking ahead, we may no longer be able to pay full health benefits for our staff,” said Hamels, referring to the growing deficit.
The $3.2 million deficit is up $1 million from last year and would put the district in a budget shortfall for the third year in a row.
The district’s 2005-06 budget expenditures were $107.3 million, with revenue of $105.1 million. The budget figures were up over 2004-05, which saw $100.3 million in expenditures and $99.4 million in revenue. The district had a $2.2 million deficit for the 2005-06 school year and in 2004-05, expenses exceeded revenue by $3.5 million, according to budgets adopted those years.
School district officials said they will be discussing ways to deal with the growing deficit in the coming months and will look into making cuts in transportation and various district staff positions. A retooling of employee health benefits is also a possibility, Hamels said.
In May, the board will review a second draft of the 2006-07 budget that will include the new positions and possible amendments based on revisions in the state’s proposed education budget that is set to be released midmonth.
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