School budget presents regular challenge

Apportioning a $197 million budget to meet the diverse needs of about 25,000 students at 35 campuses in the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district remains a challenge, despite statewide progress on a goal to restore public school funding to pre-recession levels by 2020-21.

Some $75 million has been cut from the district's operating budget for the past dozen years, ranging from a $1.3 million reduction in 2001-02 to $10.1 million last year, with an additional $11.5 million trim to balance spending with income for the current 2013-14 fiscal year.

Since 88 percent of a typical year's budget goes to employee salaries and benefits, large cuts are difficult to limit to the 12 percent devoted to books, supplies, services and other outlays.   A class-size reduction program was eliminated, and class sizes at elementary, middle and high school levels have slowly crept upwards for the past 10 years.

Furloughs were instituted in 2009-10, varying among four, five and six days.  Last year's five-day furlough for 2,670 employees has been reduced to three days for most workers this year, placed in the week of the two-day Thanksgiving holiday.

The upcoming furloughs represent a 1.62 percent salary cut for all workers.  The furloughs for management staff, including Superintendent Doug Domene, will be 3.5 or four days, based on the length of their work year, and the five elected trustees will see their $750 monthly stipends trimmed by $12.15.

The new salary schedule for teachers for the 182-day work year ranges from $44,940 for a fully credentialed, first-year teacher to $93,027 for a 30-year veteran with a defined level of additional college credits, plus $1,500 for an earned doctorate.

Certificated managers, with five years or more experience, will see salaries from $88,430 for psychologists to $147,758 for executive directors.  High school principals will earn $127,930; middle school principals $111,837; and elementary school principals $109,600.

Classified workers, including clerical staff, classroom aides, bus drivers and custodians, are still negotiating, but they're likely to see a three-day furlough.  Current hourly pay is $9.68 to $39.55.  Manager salaries range from $42,471 to $127,929 at the five-year experience level.

Furlough days and salaries might change based on the exact amount of funding the district will receive from the state under the Local Control Funding Formula.  Currently, the estimate stands at about $5 million more than last year, including a 1.56 percent cost-of-living boost.

Negotiations with unionized employees could be reopened with an assumed negative impact on furloughs and salaries if the increase is less than $3.1 million or with an assumed positive impact if the amount is greater than $6.9 million.