Dear Mariposa Family and Friends,
Wednesday evening, the Mariposa County Unified School District (MCUSD) and Mariposa County Office of Education (MCOE) governing boards conducted their regular monthly meetings, and made some important decisions regarding necessary budget adjustments for next school year and beyond. After careful analysis of budget projections for the next three years, staff recommended the implementation of reductions of $736,089 in the District budget, and $386,483 in the County budget for 2016/17. These reductions will result in a total savings of $1.5 million over the next two years, and will allow our organization to improve its fiscal health overall. Not only will it mean an end to the unhealthy practice of using carryover (unspent funds from previous years) to cover current year expenses (i.e., deficit spending), it will allow us to establish the means to reinvest in our extremely “tired” facilities.
Maintaining fiscal strength is imperative to creating the foundation and stability for our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), school sites, and our district-wide educational initiatives. Given concrete salary increase investments in our MCUSD/MCOE family over the last two years, we have taken action to balance our budget with the following adjustments:
Eliminate a currently vacant Categorical/Special Projects Coordinator position
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Utilize revenue from Foster Youth Grant to fund 15% of an Educational Services Director position
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Eliminate a currently vacant Educational Services Department Director
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Eliminate Alternative Education Assistant Principal vacancy caused by retirement, to be replaced with a Lead Teacher position
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Eliminate two vacant EOC Positions
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Utilize revenue from Adult Education Grant to fund 43% funding of the Alternative Education Principal position
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Savings achieved through attrition associated with MCUSD teacher retirements
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Eliminate 1 full-time teaching position by creating a combo class at WD or MES, based on class size projections and vacancies
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Eliminate currently vacant WD/MES Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) positions
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Eliminate/reduce Special Education Aide position/hrs., based on reduced student needs
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Eliminate future $250K contribution toward Facilities Budget which had been necessary to fund needed roof repairs in 2015/16.
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As a result of the Board’s actions, our organization will have a path towards financial stability in future years, all while having invested in recruiting and retaining dedicated staff by providing salary increases. There is no doubt that these reductions are extremely difficult, and despite not filling valuable support positions, our core educational programs will continue to be sound. With a balanced budget and minimal turnover, our organization’s foundation will be strong, ensuring our ability to maintain focus on our LCAP priorities and district initiatives.
Making reductions is always difficult, and this work can only be done with a supportive and dedicated team. Mariposa is known for its “can do” spirit, and our staff exemplifies that reputation. All District staff is to be commended for their hard work, suggestions, and support for responsible budgeting with a long term vision and success in mind.
Sincerely,
Jeff Aranguena
Mariposa County Unified School District
Director of Human Resources and Student Services
Director of Human Resources and Student Services
