School Employees Brace For Pink Slips
Layoff notices due March 2
By Linda Harmon
In another long but productive meeting the Ojai Unified School District board heard the last of their school site reports for the year, positive results from a new math textbook trial, preliminary approval of proposed rules for the city’s new Skate Park, and received the newest estimates of the available funds for the 2010-2011 general fund budget.
“The board has received two iterations of the budget and everything that has happened over the last six weeks has been bad. Everything has been going in the wrong direction for us,” said superintendent Henry Bangser, introducing a presentation of the governor’s proposed state budget. “I’ve had several meetings with staff over the last few weeks for the purpose of getting ready for the dissemination of facts, answering questions, and looking at the basis of problem solving.”
Bangser then introduced assistant superintendent Dannielle Pusatere, who explained in detail staff’s two-page document with estimated figures for next year’s budget.
“These numbers are based on the governor’s January budget proposal,” said Pusatere. “They will change.”
Pusatere’s figures included $1.9 million in cuts with a 1 percent reserve, and include a total ongoing personnel reduction of 39.76 full-time positions for 2010-2011, even assuming the same cuts approved by the union last year.
“I’ll meet with anybody over the next month to make sure questions are answered. I realize there is a tremendous amount of anxiety, and rightfully so,” said Bangser of the outlook for job and program losses. “My plan is to have a clear, transparent and interactive process with staff and community.”
Bangser, who will be meeting with both Ojai Rotary clubs this week, acknowledged that the public has grown pessimistic about threats of layoffs and cuts due to increasing funding cuts.
“I’ve heard from numerous sources that over the last couple of years, right about this time, there were significant concerns raised about the ability to maintain the programs of that year the following year because of a financial challenge,” said Bangser. “I believe that. And I believe very intelligent minds came together. Dani worked her magic, Tim did his thing, the board did their thing, the union came together and, in some cases, gave up benefits and some cases, salaries. Whatever happened, the programs and the people were essentially retained in the following year.”
Bangser acknowledged that some things were cut, but in the grand scheme of things the public sees that many things were retained.
Not this year, as the 13 percent or $2,965,000 in reductions will be felt across the district.
“I absolutely assure you, next year’s staffing and programs will be markedly different than last year,” said Bangser. “It’s mathematics. A significant number of people that are here, will not be here next year. It breaks my heart that people who have been working here up to 10 years, may not be able to be retained.”
According to Bangser, he will have a list of names for pink slips by the end of this month for action on March 2, and a list of classified employees for next month. Bangser also said he will continue to work closely with staff and the union.
Union representative Martha Ditchfield said two-thirds of her union school site representatives may be getting pink slips but that she felt “good” about how Bangser was handling things on the whole.
At which point Board President Kathi Smith stated her understanding of budget figures saying, “but 85 percent of the district’s budget is people and 64 percent of that is teachers” — a fact Bangser acknowledged and to which Ditchfield added, “I just want to be sure that percentage stays the same. The concern of my budget committee is that we’ve already accepted cuts in benefits, increased workload, and a wage cut.”
Bangser said his main concern right now was “letting the public know” about the situation, even though no final figures are available.
“The budget will take effect mid- to late-August,” said Bangser, “You don’t start educating the public in late July or even on March 2.”
seems like I read that headline last year, and the year before that, and the year before that…
deja vu
4 Feb 10 at 7:02 pm
The assistant superintendent is the one who explained in detail the budget. Why have a superintendent and an assistant? that could save us about 200,000 a year.
al
5 Feb 10 at 9:50 am
You have, and people have been laid off every year. What is your point?
Becky
anonymous
5 Feb 10 at 9:59 am
This is happening everywhere. Just not enough kids for schools anymore. People leaving the area due to jobs.
Ojai and Ventura County has always been for the Retirement community not sometimes Kid Friendly.
I see this like the above stated over and over again.
It will hit hard this year and next. With schools closing.
crystalcrossroads
5 Feb 10 at 10:23 am
Same old, same old, we hear it every year and then they hire half a dozen new teachers. OUSD has zero credibility.
anonymous
5 Feb 10 at 11:11 am
I didn’t really have one I guess! I think it’s sad that the district keeps having to cut and that families keep having to leave the area.
deja vu
5 Feb 10 at 2:14 pm
Solution:
1-Let the individual communities keep the actual percentage of tax dollars collected and earmarked for public education, rather than have those dollars go directly to the state, and then “redistributed” back to the communities. We do NOT get anywhere near the amount of education money back that we put in.
2-Demand that ALL individuals receiving public education assistance of any sort (K thru college) be in the county LEGALLY.
3-Reduce the salaries of all OUSD staff making more than $65,000 per year, and place a salary cap of $90,000 (still far more than most any of us make).
Hey, they’re all Democrats. They should love this one!
School budget crises solved with plenty of money to spare! Hell, we could even keep the “little people” who get paid so much. You know, like our bus drivers and those who work in our after school programs.
Take a hint Henry. Time to cowboy up and be a leader, and not just a figure-head assistant to Dani.
coach mike
5 Feb 10 at 3:18 pm
The parents of the kids that attend the OUSD should be able to vote on who gets those pink slips. AND It seems that every year that we get this sob story there is more construction going on at Nordhoff. Nothing about this place makes sense. Look around at all the for sale signs in Ojai. Pretty soon, we’re going to look like Little House on the Prairie with one little red school house for all age groups…and that sounds fine by me!
no longer New Yorker
5 Feb 10 at 3:22 pm
I will crush the opposition to my new plan.
Jim Courage
5 Feb 10 at 5:20 pm
Henry (Bangser) and Timmy (Baird) took all the money for
the children’s classrooms and spent it. It’s that simple
folks. Dropouts and other children have no future in the
OUSD Camelot (Democrats of Ojai). They (white yuppies)
and their leaders (Obama followers,teachers union,OUSD
administrators) have never ever shown any interest in
the working people of the Ojai Valley.
taxpayer and parent
5 Feb 10 at 5:57 pm
Yawn. Like the idiot kids at Nordhoff even need teachers. Just throw them in a room with printouts of Truth Coalition brochures and that will be the best education that any parent could want.
Anon.5
6 Feb 10 at 12:18 am
Here is the problem. The public schools are the largest expense in the state budget (40%). Due to a decrease in state revenues ( state income tax ) the total state budget has shrunk and thus the 40% is a smaller number. So make the adjustments and live within our budget.
anonymous
6 Feb 10 at 8:54 am
The state budget has shrunk, because the Peoples Republic of California has created the mess through over-taxation, over-regulation, and over-spending.
People that want to keep their money, keep their jobs and keep their individual freedoms (not to mention those who want a better education for their kids and a better standard of living for their dollar) are leaving the state.
Problem is, there is a tidal wave of individuals demanding intitlements and placing increased stress on public services replacing those income-earning tax payers and businesses who are leaving.
The math part here isn’t that comlicated.
So, again some basic adjustments for us here in Ojai should start with:
1-Allowing each community to retain the actual percentage of taxes it’s collected for public education, rather than have it funnel through our socialist state system.
2-DEMAND that ALL students receiving public education are LEGAL RESIDENCE of the United States.
3-Reduce the bloated OUSD Staff salaries.
These alone would fix the education budget problem in Ojai with plenty to spare.
If that means pushing new legislation and pissing some people off, so be it!
We need to start somewhere.
coach mike
6 Feb 10 at 12:57 pm
“Coach Mike” I appreciate your desire to want to effect change in the OUSD. However I don’t think you understand how the schools are funded. It is not only state and local taxes but also federal money which California does not get its fair share.
anonymous
7 Feb 10 at 1:47 pm
Has anyone seen new construction at Nordhoff? I go by everyday and haven’t seen any building going on
Parent
7 Feb 10 at 9:01 pm
I challenge everyone on this blog who has had the luxury of time to respond to the OVN’s coverage of the the state budget and its effect on the OUSD budget to volunteer for one hour next week at either Summit, San Antonio, Meiners Oaks, Miramonte, Topa Topa, Matilija Jr. High, or Nordhoff High School. Then we’ll talk.
I bet you won’t do it.
Weekly Volunteer
Weekly Volunteer
7 Feb 10 at 9:22 pm
Weekly Volunteer, that is great that you can afford the time to volunteer in our schools, but get off your high horse many people help out where they can and some have given in the past. So pat yourself on the back, job well done.
anonymous
8 Feb 10 at 9:13 am
School districts around the state are suffering from budget cuts…might be time to consider consolidating some of the districts to save money…
Jeff Spicoli
8 Feb 10 at 9:33 am
Never mind consolidating districts, but why not consolidate a school? Enrollment has decreased by at least 1000 students in 10 years, but no schools have closed, why?
Mr. Hand
8 Feb 10 at 10:54 am
Anonymous,
I’m not on a high horse. I am unemployed and looking for work daily. Even when I was employed, I still found time to volunteer for ONE HOUR a week.
Got any other excuses?
Weekly Volunteer
Weekly Volunteer
8 Feb 10 at 10:56 am
Weekly Volunteer,
I do more than volunteer. I work. And because I work, I pay taxes. My schedule does not allow me to volunteer during school hours.
Maybe your publicly funded life allows it.
no longer New Yorker
8 Feb 10 at 11:08 am
Is the budget crisis serious? Will schools be closed? Will there be pay cuts? Will we lose the music program? Will the sports programs get cut? The answer is no to all of those questions. It is the “cry wolf” scenario again and again.
anonymous
8 Feb 10 at 11:42 am
parent – your observations skills are bleak at best. look again! Focus on the road side of the 3 yr new football field that was outsourced to out of state contracters! The same contractors that held up the job to the supposed tune of $thousands!
AND who keeps taking my name and why does this lousy newspaper allow it?? Not that I don’t like the copy cats blogs but, hey, stop taking my name!
once again no longer New Yorker
8 Feb 10 at 1:18 pm
Every year it’s the same old thing. Next they will threaten to cut programs and extort parents for phony book charges… Then come November there will be a new property tax hike on the ballot.
Matilija Jr High is a pretty good school but Nordoff is a disaster. Their strategy of increasing enrollment by pandering to the illegal community with social programs is a disgrace. It’s costly one for the legal students.
I like Coach Mike’s ideas but the unions would never allow any of it. The powers that be will only retire with huge pensions. Their negative impact on our school budgets will linger for years…
Verità
8 Feb 10 at 3:05 pm
The following is a direct quote from an administrator at Nordhoff Highschool. I will not get into the reason for this due to privacy concerns but I will say that it stemmed from me nailing that person about a complete wrongdoing on their part. They were clearly negligent in their duties and I could prove this in a court of law. I will pray that this person gets a pinkie:
“As it seems impossible to have a constructive working relationship with you, this will be my last correspondence. Please do not email me again. I will not respond.”
tdubya
8 Feb 10 at 3:42 pm
once again no longer New Yorker,
I keep taking your name because I want you to sound smart. I pitied you for a brief period, sound mind lousy blogs, and decided my intervention was warranted.
You can thank the Truth Coalition for helping boosting your social standing.
By the way, Ret. Lieut. John Doe sends his regards from the Indian Ocean.
Anon.5
Truth Coalition
Anon.5
8 Feb 10 at 4:37 pm
anon.5 How very cool of you to school me in this manner. How is it possible for you to blog when your head is (deleted). Absolutely facsinating, I must say. Now I feel the need to go back in time to see when, exactly, I put you in your place so successfully. Sometimes someone’s anger is a terrific form of flattery. Thank you. Oh, and btw, I prefer not to have any ‘social standing’ in the town of Ojai.
original new yorker
8 Feb 10 at 5:40 pm
Aryon.5,
If you can’t handle other people’s opinions perhaps you should stay off the blogs. If New Yorker wrote a book would you wear your Jack Boots to the burning?
Verità
8 Feb 10 at 5:53 pm
N.Y. Blue,
No good deed goes unpunished. I take back what I wrote about your “sound mind.” There’s no reason to search the archives; you will only embarass yourself, and with your low self-esteem, that could be devastating at this juncture. I, young student, am the teacher in our exchanges. Does my reference to your loud New York mouth ring a bell?? Do you care to rethink your social standing argument? Seems to me that you are obsessed with it.
In the future, I will not give your avatar the courtesy of genius, but instead will leave you to your own demise.
Verita,
Truth, regardless of the language, is universal, and you forget that I have patented the truth. If the sky was blue would the birds be singing? While your fallacious questions might supercharge your little mind, they do nothing for me. By the way, you might want to take a course in logic 101 before trying your hand at sophistry. Your self-dubbery and nazi references must make you a real hit on the msnbc circuit. Too bad that you don’t carry any weight.
Anon.5
Truth Coalition
ADMIN NOTE: Please stick to the topic of this report or future off-topic postings will be rejected.
Anon.5
8 Feb 10 at 6:16 pm
I’m sure there is a loose cannon on board and something tells me I don’t need to elaborate on who I am referring to. Stop allowing people such as Mr. Anon5 to ateal others’ user names. It demeans the purpose of these blogs and would have avoided the last 4 off topic posts pertaining to this story altogether.
new yorker
8 Feb 10 at 7:48 pm
There is NO construction going on at Nordhoff. As to no impact from the budget crisis, my classes are 50% larger than when I started teaching, nine years ago. The number of custodial and secretarial hours has been drastically reduced over the past few years, as have the supply budgets. Despite being demonized by some of you, teacher, classified staff, and administration have worked hard to preserve the programs that are important to our students and their families. Perhaps this has been a mistake, as it has given the impression that there was no budget crisis after all. School board meetings are open to the public, and the budget can be viewed by the public as well. Thank you to Weekly Volunteer. The service that you and other community volunteers provide has a direct impact on our students; not least that another adult has shown concern for their welfare.
Becky
Becky
8 Feb 10 at 7:57 pm
WEEKLY VOLUNTEER:While I think it is admirable that you volunteer, you should not be aloud to volunteer in a position where someone has lost hours or been laid off from OUSD. I hope where ever you are volunteering they amd you have looked into that before you started or continue to volunteer.
DOROTHY
8 Feb 10 at 10:48 pm
I am most of the teachers are trying hard even though the ship is sinking and all the school board can do is re-arrange the deck chairs. Thanks Becky for your comments about the custodial staff and secretaries who have been laid off or hours cut. They are at the bottom of the food chain in the district and make up less than 1% of the salaries. The OUSD boardmembers are basically good people with good intentions, but they have been unable to do anything about what is happening to our schools, and yes Nordhoff is going down hill quickly.
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 9:12 am
There are many excuses for not volunteering. There are ways to volunteer before and after school hours, and on weekends. Schools need help with a myriad of things like xeroxing, helping a student one-on-one with editing their work, helping with the book fair sales after school, etc. As a volunteer, I do not take the the place of a paid OUSD position. Rather, I take the place of hundreds of parents and citizens who know that their presence and time in the public schools are needed, appreciated, and especially crucial to help our students be successful. Again, I you will all consider some way that you make a difference, even if only ONE HOUR a week.
Weekly Volunteer
9 Feb 10 at 9:18 am
Again, I hope you all will consider some way that you make a difference, even if only ONE HOUR a week.
Weekly Volunteer
9 Feb 10 at 9:29 am
It is great to volunteer, but the school district needs money. So if we do a dollar a day for all the kids attending that would be $4500/day or about $90,000/month or $800,000 for the school year. Small price to pay to save the schools.
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 9:55 am
I encourage all teachers to attend a Truth Coalition Seminar if you really want to make a difference in the children’s lives.
Ret. Lieut. John Doe will be returning from his most recent covert operation in the Indian Ocean, at which time we will be offering courses on how to raise a genius.
Anon.5
Truth Coalition
Anon.5
9 Feb 10 at 10:29 am
Becky
If we have declining enrollment why has your class size increased by 50%. It seems like the classes sizes should be smaller not bigger.
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 12:23 pm
My classes are getting larger due to layoffs. Smaller classes are more expensive.
Becky
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 1:16 pm
The OUSD board has always maintained that they will keep cuts away from the classroom. That seems to be a lie. If you are firing teachers and making the classes bigger that affects students. So we can soon expect class sizes of 50-60 students?
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 3:07 pm
Teachers work very hard to educate the children in our state…there are some administrators who also work very hard to make sure that schools are doing what they should be doing…however there are many school districts that waste time and money on a daily basis…if we combined the smaller districts just like is outlined in the Ventura County Grand Jury report, we could spend more money on teachers, supllies and less on overpaid administration…
see the report at: http://portal.countyofventura.org/portal/page/portal/Grand_Jury/Reports/TAB4579372/8SchoolDistrictAdministrationIstheCostTooHigh.pdf
Jeff Spicoli
9 Feb 10 at 3:12 pm
Thank you Jeff Spicoli. Lots of good information and some interesting stuff, like why do we pay the boardmembers $55,000/yr.?
anonymous
9 Feb 10 at 4:50 pm
OUSD has made many of its budget decisions with the intent to impact students as little as possible. The district has not “always maintained that they will keep cuts away from the classroom,” as anonymous 9 Feb 10 3:07 p.m. claims.
Remember that certain funds, such as those for construction, may only be spent on specific items. Such “categoricals” are usually created to assist school districts with specific needs, such as structural, when general funds have dwindled due to governmental economics. There are many categoricals that may never be used for salaries. When you see construction at a school, it is never displacing teachers. These projects are often funded by “use it or lose it” money.
As Becky pointed out, reducing staff means larger class sizes. Closing a school would not eliminate the need for all staff and is problematic because of the transportation challenges. Costs saved by closing one site would just be displaced to another, minimizing or even nullifying savings, while students and their families are greatly impacted. Then there are the secondary school state course requirements to offer regardless of enrollment. Public school budgets are never simple.
coach mike, your ideas No. 1 and 2 are not under the control of school districts, but our legislators who, some might argue, created this crisis. As for No. 3, I can only imagine the time they would spend defining “bloated” salaries.
Sondra Murphy
9 Feb 10 at 6:20 pm
California teachers – highest paid in the US and most poorly educated students in the US. Do the math.
Worst teachers in America
10 Feb 10 at 9:19 pm
Why does Sondra Murphy act as the spokesperson for the OUSD? Does the district have no way to respond? Bangser step up to the plate and do your job.
anonymous
11 Feb 10 at 9:21 am
Worst,
I can’t do the math I went to school here.jk
5+5=1,000 ?
11 Feb 10 at 2:58 pm