No Layoff this August

Our school board has decided to spend down its rainy day fund.

We are one of just a handful of districts in the state that won't be facing layoffs this August. What everyone thought was permanent school funding after prop 98 is truly not. The cuts that the education community will get are not to ever be restored. They were restored in the past.

Sitting down with our president, our exec director and the Asst. Sup in HR we talked informally about what could happen to effect our contract for the year just completed and the one in our sites starting August 2009.

There is some hysteria that is going on. Some districts plan on laying teachers off in August even though they don't have to do it. A lot of districts think they need to do it because others are doing it. In today's computerized budgets its clear to see where the "inurance" money is located. We all have a stake in such claims. It is however, easy to get caught up in the hysteria of downsizing. As many will remember, this is not the first time that the state have reached some kind of crisis like this. It is the first time that they have wanted so much in terms of increase in quality and not had a way to pay for it. Our state movement in no child left behind is very expensive. Will these needs be met with leaner budgets and more students per classroom? Something has to give.

: ) Pat