Politics & Government

Dixon Unified School District Board of Trustees Adopts Budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012

DUSD Board of Trustees passed its budget last night during a special meeting of the school board, hours after Gov. Jerry Brown approved the state's budget

Hours after Gov. Jerry Brown approved the state's budget Thursday, the Dixon Unified School District Board of Trustees approved its budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012.

The budget that passed last night during a special meeting of the DUSD School Board comes with slight changes from the budget presented to the board during its June 16 meeting.

“There is about $4,500 in indirect charges that we found we’re able to charge against the Child Development Fund so it’s a little more revenue for the General Fund for the unrestricted (funds),” Chief Business Official Cecile Nunley told the board. “We made a slight adjustment to the 10-11 school year as far as where we think our fund balance will end up … $23,403 …  it’s not very much.”

Find out what's happening in Dixonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The budget that the board approved last night calculates that the district will be deficit spending by $1.4 million.

“And that’s a continuous concern, something that the district will have to address in the future years,” Nunley said.

Find out what's happening in Dixonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The budget was approved with flat state funding expected for the district. It did not include the extension of special taxes that expired as of Thursday that many districts throughout the state relied upon, but optimistically includes an increase of $4 billion in state revenues expected to soften the loss of the tax revenue.

Should the $4 billion in extra money fail to track by December 2011, certain “automatic triggers” will go off, Nunley said. These triggers include the shortening of the school year by seven days and the re-instatement of $2.1 billion in new deferrals to schools.

Nunley told the board that the state budget is considered balanced only if revenues are increased.  Electioneering – the notion that voters will not extend taxes to increase welfare payments, funding for prisons and education – will continue, with education funding threatened if new revenues fail to come in according to Nunley.

“It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves in an ocean of uncertainty,” Board Member Herb Cross said, reading from a prepared statement. “A budget built on a foundation of shifting sand must be carefully constructed and with a great deal of extra support.”

Cross said: “One day we hear we are to prepare for an income from the state ADA (Average Daily Attendance) of $349 less per student than the last year.  The next thing we hear is ‘Build your budget on the premise that you will receive the same income from the state ADA calculation as last year,’ but with the caveat that extended taxes will be necessary. Then we are told there will be no extended taxes but assume the same income as last (year’s) ADA with the explanation that the calculation is based on hope that the state income will be $4 billion higher than last year. But with the possible mid-year adjustment that could weaken your ADA income by as much as $250 per student.”

Cross relayed the following facts to those in attendance:

  • The district will be deficit spending by $1.4 million in 2011-2012
  • The district is using its resources to pay Certificates of Participation in excess of $1 million out of the General Fund.
  • DUSD revenue is down $1.2 million with state funding remaining at 2010 levels.
  • The district will spend an extra $270,000 for column and step raises for certificated and classified employees, plus an increase in benefits.
  • The District must make and Adult Education payment of $591,000 because of a past discrepancy
  • The District has declining enrollment
  • The District made a contribution of $4 million from its unrestricted funds to its restricted funds

 

“What’s a board to do?” Cross asked. “Prepare for the best-case scenario and hope, prepare for the worst-case scenario and sacrifice or land somewhere in the middle with a mixture of hope and sacrifice.”

Cross said: “We must live in the present, but we have to prepare for the future. Until the state can find a way to stabilize our situation, we are going to have to continue our struggle, absent a stable and reasonable foundation from which to build our future. And so I have to support this budget.”

The District’s budget carried with a vote of 3-1, with Board President John Gabby, and trustees Jim Ernst and Herb Cross voting in favor, and trustee Irina Okhremtchouk voting against it. Trustee Gil Pinon abstained from the vote.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Dixon