Email sent to Teachers on March 13th

Do not be fool(ed)(typo in original where ed was left out) by teachers union claims about the recent election. The District can not used any of the monies from Measure C for day to day operations. Prop 55 monies like Measure C monies is strictly for building related expenditures. Measure A monies are currently being spent on discretionary programs like class size reduction programs in K-3.

In 2003, we made $1,700,000 in reductions due to 2002/03 fiscal crisis that ex-governor Davis proclaimed in December, 2002. After the 2003/04 budget adoption, it was clear there still was a severe state fiscal crisis. The 2003/04 fiscal crisis required governor Schwarzenegger to finance $15 billion of prior state deficits via Prop 57. The State Budget 2004-05 is still proposing more deficits in the coming years according to the Legislative Analyst Office. Since the Alameda Unified School District receives 89% of its funding from the State, it my opinion that the most fiscally prudent course of action is to critically evaluate making future multi-year expense commitments when it certainly appears that future revenue increases are highly questionable.

Copy of EMail sent to Parents on March 14th

On March 18 the teachers union is planning to picket at District offices. The request to picket is in a recent Alameda Education Association flyer with the title THE DISTRICT HAS MONEY!. The flyer starts with the following two paragraphs:

The District will be receiving approximately $63,000,000 from the Bond that was passed on Tuesday, March 2, Prop 55 will provide $15,279,526 and Measure A monies equal $1,800,000.

The District has the funds to offer us full medical coverage, a 3.28 percent raise, self-directed preparation periods, and a return to a 7-hour day. It is a matter of prioritizing their budget. ....

The joining of two paragraphs gives the mistaken impression that the District will have more new monies for AEA's requests totaling over $2,200,000. Nothing could be further from the truth. Developer fees and bond monies are kept in separate funds and can only be used for building related expenses. The $78 million of bond monies will allow the District to address the items identified in Measure C. Had the bonds failed the District would have had to rely strictly on developer fees revenue to maintain our schools.

As for the District having the funds, I would offer the following for your consideration.

In 2003, we made $1,700,000 in reductions due to 2002/03 fiscal crisis that ex-governor Davis proclaimed in December, 2002. After the 2003/04 budget adoption, it was clear there still was a severe state fiscal crisis. The 2003/04 fiscal crisis required governor Schwarzenegger to finance $15 billion of prior state deficits via Prop 57. The State Budget 2004-05 is still proposing more deficits in the coming years according to the Legislative Analyst Office. Since the Alameda Unified School District receives 89% of its funding from the State, it my opinion that the most fiscally prudent course of action is to critically evaluate making future multi-year expense commitments when it certainly appears that future revenue increases are highly questionable.

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Last modified: March 15, 2004

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.