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Dear Etiwanda School District Community,
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with an update on the impact of the state fiscal crisis on our district, and to urge you to take action on behalf of your child, our students, our staff and our schools here in Etiwanda.
With sincere regret I must report that the funding outlook for public education is bleak due to the continued economic downturn in our state and across the nation. Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget for the coming year will have a devastating impact on our district. At this time, the proposed budget gap that must be addressed is nearly $15 million over the next three years. This three year deadline is important because a school district must certify that it will be able to meet its financial obligations for that three year period.
Our Board of Trustees has been proactive over the past several years in preparing for budget reductions. Prior actions include increases in class sizes at third grade, reduction of the school year by three days, elimination of district level administrative and support positions and work year/salary reductions for all employees. Over $18 million in district reserves have been dedicated to filling budget gaps as well. While we hoped that taking these actions would be sufficient to weather this economic crisis, the ongoing nature of the deep reductions proposed in the Governor’s budget makes the need for further budget cuts a reality.
The district must now look to program and staffing cuts in a variety of areas. Some of the areas that are being considered include additional increases in class sizes, staff reductions, reduction or elimination of some programs, changes to home-to-school transportation and further reduction of days in the school year. In anticipation of these reductions, the Board of Trustees has adopted a resolution for teacher and administrator layoffs that could result in the elimination of over 80 positions in our district. The Board of Trustees will also be considering staffing reductions for classified support positions. I remain hopeful that the number of layoffs required can be reduced as the state budget is further developed and additional solutions are considered.
Therefore, we are requesting our parents to take action. For your child, our schools and for public education in California - now is the time to act! Please take a moment to contact your state assembly member and state senator, urging your representatives to find a better solution to the budget crisis. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to assist you in creating letters for mailing.
Please be assured that the Board of Trustees and the district administration will continue to review and consider all available options to address this budget crisis. While our economic resources are being diminished, our dedication to provide an outstanding education for our children has not. We will rely on our traditions of teamwork, proactive planning and focusing on the needs of our students to find solutions to the impact of this state crisis.
Sincerely,
Shawn Judson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
