3 months ago
STOCKTON, CA- Stockton Unified School District has already laid off teachers and slashed spending across the board, but Interim Superintendent Steve Vaczovsky says the budget crisis is about to get worse. "The cuts that are coming are going to be deep. They're going to hurt," said Vaczovsky at a meeting with parents at Franklin High School Wednesday night.
At a gathering to get parent input on what programs are most important to them, Vaczovsky said the district managed to keep most programs relatively intact last year because of federal stimulus money. Without that one year infusion of cash, the district faces at least a 20-million dollar hole in next year's budget. And with word from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office that the budget deficit is again ballooning, Vaczovsky says the district can expect a much deeper budget crisis of it's own.
Only about 40 people attended the meeting, but parents voiced their hopes on what programs should stay intact. Yolando Arroyo, who also teaches school at the district, told administrators she wants to see busing to and from magnet schools kept intact. "It would be practically impossible for me to get to work and at the same time drive them to school," she said, adding that the popular magnet school program depends on students being bused long distances.
Vaczovsky said he's heard the same message from many parents. "Parents are saying they need to preserve that or their kids won't be able to go to a magnet school because it would be too far away for personal transportation.
Parents also made it clear they would like Franklin High's popular International Baccalaureate program kept intact.
In the long run, Vaczovsky said the district will consider across-the-board pay cuts and shortening the school year by 5 days. In the meantime, he cautions, the district will be faced with cutting existing programs. Stockton Unified has already laid-off over 200 teachers.
News10/KXTV
