School Board Reduces Child Care Program, Certifies Financial Report

In a day branded as one full of somber thoughts, school board members approved more reductions to services and programs Tuesday night.

While Red Tuesday did not prompt a in Newark as it did in neighboring and other Bay Area cities, Newark teachers, administrators and students were present at the school board meeting to express their concerns over a statewide March 15 deadline for districts to hand out preliminary layoff notifications to certificated staff.

Newark Teachers Association President Chris Baugh said that while the cut isn’t as detrimental in previous years, 45 teachers still received notification of non-employment for the 2011-12 school year.

“We had the bulk of ours three years ago now, and it seems like that number is dwindling, which is a great sign, or it means that there is no where else to cut,” Baugh said. “It is always a sad occasion for me.”

During the board meeting, students showcased their talents with a song from the musical Pippin. , the school board approved a resolution that reduced the district’s band and choir services by 1.4 fulltime equivalent positions.

Tuesday night the five-member school board unanimously agreed to eliminate the district’s holiday and summer child care programs, at the request of Child Care Director Carol Viegelmann.

Elimination of these programs means child care would not be provided on school holidays: March 7, April 25-29 and June 10.

Child care is provided at seven locations throughout the district and provides before- and after-school care. The district also offers child care services during some holidays for students in kindergarten to sixth grade.

The recommendation was not an easy one, Viegelmann said, but it was necessary.

“It is terribly painful for me to recommend these things,” Viegelmann said. “However, we are a business.”

According to Viegelmann, the recommendation stemmed from data that shows low enrollment in child care and from input by various staff members. The elimination of the summer program will save $53,239.

Despite the cuts Newark Unified is foreseeing, the school board approved the district’s Second Interim Report with positive certification in a 5-0 vote, as recommended by Fiscal Services Director Robert Pascual.

According to Pascual, data shows that the district will meet its financial obligations for its current fiscal year and the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years.

“This is good news for us,” Pascual said.

The state requires NUSD to submit interim reports to the Alameda County Office of Education during each fiscal year. The first report covers the period ending in Oct. 31, while the second covers changes between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31.

The notable changes for this report include:

• A decrease of $11,000 in revenues
• A decrease of $5,000 in expenditures
• A total decrease in its ending fund balance of $115,000

Pascual said district officials will be monitoring the budget and will adjust according to Gov. Jerry Brown’s May revised budget proposal and the outcome of a possible special election in June that would ask voters to approve the extension of various taxes.

Board President Charles Mensinger thanked Pascual for the report and said it was one that is very valued by the board.

“It’s not easy. It's very difficult especially in trying times like this, when we are making cuts and continuously making budget adjustments, so we do appreciate that,” Mensinger said.

For general budget information, click here.

To review the Newark school board meeting agenda, click here.

School board members also held a budget workshop Tuesday night. Newark Patch will publish a detailed report on the workshop later this week.