BOE Meeting for May 27, 2008

NOTE: Location Change: Henry Haight Elementary School

1.) Employee of the Month Recognition

Background: Each month the District honors employees nominated for their service to the District. This month we honor:
Noel Wiley, School Office Assistant
Tawanda Mitchell, Health Office Assistant
Debbie Cummins, SPED Paraprofessional, RSP
Shirley Pullen, Substitute Paraprofessional - Title One

Fiscal Implications: None

Superintendent Goal: Goal #4. Recruit and retain high quality employees.

2.) Recognition of Student Board Members

Background: This year's student board member being honored are:

Fiscal Implications: None

Superintendent Goal: Informational.

3.)Recognition of Henry Haight Elementary School - Title 1 Achievement Award Receipent

Background: Henry Haight Elementary is one of 24 Title 1 schools (out of 6000 Title 1 schools) who have met the eligibility criteria for the fifth consecutive year.

Fiscal Implications: None.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #1 Continue to improve student achievement while also narrowing and closing the achievement gap.

4.) Public Appointment of Director of Special Education

Background: The Director of Special Education is retiring. The Superintendent will present her candidate, Susan Mitchell from Antioch schools to fill the position.

The Board approved the appointment.

Fiscal Implications: None

Superintendent Goal: Goal #4. recruit and retain high quality employees.

5.) Regional Occupational Program (ROP) / Career Technical Education Report: Woodstock New Arts Media Program

Background: Under the auspices of the Oakland-Alameda Regional Occupational Program, Alameda Unified School District is developing a new ROP New Media Center to be housed at the Woodstock Educational Center. The ROP New Media Center will be co-located on the former Woodstock Elementary School campus along with both AUSD Special Education and Alternatives in Action (AIA), including the different programs AIA operates (i.e, Bay Area School of Enterprise (BASE), Home Project and Home Sweet Home). The ROP New Media Center will offer both afternoon and evening classes to younger and older adults who will have opportunities to acquire high-level technical skills that match current industry trends and economic drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area. These classes include Video Production, TV Production, Introduction to Animation, Game Design and Sound Engineering and Recording. All classes will be operated under auspices of Oakland-Alameda ROP, and all classes are either already UC “A-G” approved or are pending approval from UC. The new Woodstock ROP New Media Center thus aligns AUSD goals for fiscal solvency with AUSD goals for providing innovative new educational programs to best prepare students we serve with skills required for college and career success..

Fiscal Implications: ROP Categorical funds cover most operatioanl costs.

Staff will presented a Powerpoint presenation.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #1 Align the spending plan.

6.) Regional Occupational Program (ROP) Joint Powers Authority Update

Background: For the past few years, Oakland-Alameda Regional Occupational Program (ROP) stakeholders have been working at enhancing, improving and increasing the wide array of Career Technical Education programs in Alameda Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District. For months now we have been working on developing a new ROP Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) in order to better serve member districts by rebranding, restructuring and retooling the ROP organization. Oakland-Alameda ROP JPA represents remaining districts of an ROP JPA that once included Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville and Piedmont School Districts. Oakland-Alameda ROP JPA stakeholders propose rebranding to East Bay ROP with the aim of better serving its current member districts and others in the region. This organizational restructure will help provide increased ROP/CTE services for Alameda at minimal cost to AUSD because unrealized ROP categorical funding is available to the JPA once it restructures and can achieve the organizational focus required of efficiency of operations and economy of scale. This presentation aims to outline the restructuring goals of the Oakland-Alameda ROP JPA to rebrand and retool as East Bay ROP in order to enhance, improve and increase CTE programs.

Staff will presented a Powerpoint presenation.

Fiscal Implications: ROP categorcial funds cover most operational costs.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

7.) Third Interim Report

Background: Since AUSD filed a qualified Second Interim, AUSD is required to present a Third Interim fiscal report.

Staff will presented the PowerPoint presentation on the Third Interim.

Fiscal Implications: None.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

8.) Governor's May Revise Budget Report

Background: The Governor’s recommended budget:

• Does not suspend Proposition 98
• Level funding for revenue limits and special education (i.e., no COLA)
• The combination of the absence of COLA and the continuing rise in the costs of our educational program results in ongoing budget pressures.

REVENUE LIMIT COLA AND DEFICIT

• Statutory COLA of 5.66%
• Deficit factor of 5.357%
• AUSD: Loss of $3.2M in new and ongoing Revenue Limit

How are the COLA and deficit applied?
The 5.66% statutory COLA is first applied to revenue limits and then a deficit factor of 5.357% is imposed, resulting in the elimination of the COLA. The calculations below walk through the cuts for the AUSD.

GROWTH

• Enrollment growth is fully-funded. Statewide enrollments are projected to decline.

SPECIAL EDUCATION COLA AND DEFICIT

• Estimated statutory COLA of 5.66% for Special Education and a 5.357% deficit, resulting in level funding to Special Education. This revision allows the state to meet the Federal Maintenance of Effort Requirement, so other federal dollars are no longer in jeopardy.

CATEGORICAL COLA AND DEFICIT

• No COLA, no funding for growth, and 6.5% reductions to base funding for Categorical Programs. Major cuts include:
• ROP
• Adult Education
• K-3 CSR
• Supplemental Hourly
• Economic Impact Aid

FLEXIBILITY PROVISIONS

• Reduce recommended Reserve for Economic Uncertainties from 3% to 1.5%
• Transfer (or “sweep”) specified state categorical balances from restricted ending balance to unrestricted ending balance
• Redirect up to 2% of specified state categorical funds to unrestricted funds
• Increase specified categorical block grant (AB 825) transfer levels from 15% out and 20% in to 20% out and 25% in
• Increase Mega-Item transfer levels from 10% out and 15% in to 50% out and 55% in, but no expansion of the list of programs

APPORTIONMENT DEFERRALS

• No new deferrals of Principal Apportionment
• The deferral established by ABX3 4 (i.e., the special session bill passed earlier this year that implemented the mid-year cuts under Proposition 58) delays the July 2008 Advance Apportionment until September 2008 for FY08/09 only.

EQUALIZATION AID

• No funding to level up base revenue limits to the 90th percentile.

FACILITIES

• Reduce Routine Restricted Maintenance Reserve (RRMA) from 3% to 2%
• Eliminate Deferred Maintenance Match
• AUSD: Loss of $445K in state revenue

Fiscal Implications: None.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

9.) Budget Development Building Blocks

Background: Staff presented a PowerPoint presentation on the budget development process.

Fiscal Implications: None.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

10.) Approval of Resolution No. 08-0023 – Intent to Dismiss Classified Management

Background: California Education Code Section 45117 set forth dates and procedures by which the Board of Education must express its intent to reduce or discontinue particular kinds of services and give notice to classified management employee that their services may not be required for the ensuing school year.

Communications and Community Relations Officer .75 FTE

Fiscal Implications: $28,000.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

11.) Approval of Resolution No. 08-0024 Intent to Dismiss Classified Employees, California School Employees Association, BLUE (CSEA Blue Maintenance, Operations, Facilities and Food Services)

Background: California Education Code Section 45117 set forth dates and procedures by which the Board of Education must express its intent to reduce or discontinue particular kinds of services and give notice to classified California School Employees Association (CSEA Blue) maintenance, operations, and facilities and food services employees that their services may not be required for the ensuing school year.

At the prior meeting a mistake on the Food Services assistants was made.

Positions to be reduced or discontinued as follows:

Fiscal Implications: Estimated $ 21,539 Savings.

Superintendent Goal: Goal #2. Align spending plan.

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Last modified: May, 2008

Disclaimer: This website is the sole responsibility of Mike McMahon. It does not represent any official opinions, statement of facts or positions of the Alameda Unified School District. Its sole purpose is to disseminate information to interested individuals in the Alameda community.