School district reserve funds dip below state requirement
–The Paso Robles School Board recently received the Unaudited Actuals compiled by the County Office of Education. They show the district has a reserve fund of 0.96-percent of the operating budget. A state requirement calls for at least a 3-percent reserve fund.
At the Oct. 9 school board meeting, the trustees agreed they’d erred in allowing so much spending, but unanimously stood behind the school superintendent.
“In my fifth year leading this district, the same board members that governed and held me accountable for countless initiatives, pushed me, challenged me and understood the significance and importance of me putting the pay raise back into the hands of our teachers,” Williams said in response to an inquiry by the Paso Robles Daily News. “These were extremely tough one-on-one meetings, but I appreciate their feedback and expectations.
“It is 100 percent my responsibility and accountability that I own this budget, and I am responsible for it. I do not point my finger to blame anyone else,” Williams continued. “The reality is that the time I’ve spent implementing new programs, upgrading facilities, and creating award-winning visual and performing arts programs that offer art, music and dance for every elementary students, should have been spent focused on the budget.
“My passion and purpose for each of our students, staff members and community has and will not change. We have the staff and family that will come together and work through this, inch by inch and dollar by dollar.”
At the meeting, while discussing the reserves, President Joan Sommers raised a question about a teacher from Fresno who is receiving $85,000 a year to teach only one Leadership class. Although other teachers tutor 25-35 students each, she tutors no one. Trustee Matt McClish advised people who complain about the alleged preferential treatment of teacher and administrators imported from Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley to “get over it.”
Chris Arend, who is running for the school board, says the board simply spent more than it’s taking in, a lot more. Arend is a retired international attorney, with law degrees from UC Berkeley and a university in Germany.
Superintendent Chris Williams says he’s committed to rebuilding the reserve fund.
The County Office of Education will continue to monitor the district budget.
County Superintendent Jim Brescia also attended the meeting.
Comments
