Petaluma City
Schools
Site and Department suggested budget
cut proposals as presented during the
Augmented Budget Committee meeting
in the Districts’ Board of Education
Room on February 17, 2009
Governor’s Proposed Change in Revenue Limit
2008-09 -4.57%
$2,100,000
2009-10 53 ADA decline
$ 327,000
2009-10 -2.52%
$1,100,000
Two Year Revenue Limit reduction
$3,527,000
Budget Cut Proposals for 2008-09
Hiring Freeze (non-essential positions only)
(1.5-custodians/1 grounds)
Spending Freeze (non-essential)
No non-essential subs or extra/over-time
$40,000/$80,000
$300,000
$200,000/$400,000
If Categorical flexibility is provided in mid-year cuts will
need to be explored
Potential Budget Cuts for 2009-10
Reduction of 5-days all employees:
Certificated Bargaining Unit
$ 980,000
Management
$ 135,000
Classified Bargaining Unit
$ 387,000
Confidential
$
TOTAL
$1,515,000
13,000
Potential Budget Cuts for 2009-10
(continued)
Class Size: increase class size by one student 4-12th grade
$750,000
Counselors: High School one per grade and JH 1:500 (-1.2)
$ 84,000
Secondary School Admin
(1 AP per JH and 1:400 HS with no part-time)
$220,000
Change positions that had increases in work year:
Transportation Secretary (from 12 months to 11 months)
Facility Managers (2) (from 12 months to 11 months)
$ 3,900
$ 11,000
Potential Budget Cuts for 2009-10
(continued)
Eliminate all athletic funding except for coaches
$ 35,800
Eliminate General Fund cost for Entrepreneurs
$103,000
Reduce Department and Schools’ non-personnel budgets by 25%:
Departments
Schools
Total
$48,000
$70,000
$118,000
Summer School
Eliminate District Childcare at McKinley
$ 43,000
If we are provided categorical flexibility
we will be looking at all options:
Class Size K-3 by two students (requires flexibility)
Ninth Grade Class Size
SIP
Art and Music Block Grant
Counseling
Instructional Materials
TIIG
PE
$140,000
School Sites and Departments have
proposed budget cuts in the following:
Administration
Facilities
Certificated
School Year
Classified
Supplies
Personnel (general)
Curriculum
Financial
Miscellaneous
ADMINISTRATION

Return of this years 25% “parity” raise for Superintendent and Deputy
Superintendent

A reduction in Upper Management salaries and all Classified Management
salaries (Why were they even given a parity raise – you knew then about
the budget crisis)

Eliminate management gas allowance (2)

Crossroads: Close (reduction of rental, staffing, site admin) or move to
PJHS and assign a PJH AP to oversee (1 admin reduction)

One Alternative Education Principal to cover Carpe Diem, Sonoma
Mountain, San Antonio (Reduction of 1 admin)

PJHS AP to oversee Valley Oaks Independent Study

Eliminate AP, Adult Education (reduction 1 admin)
ADMINISTRATION

Consolidate 2 Director positions into one Asst. Supt. position.
Redistribute duties to Coordinator of Student Services and Director of
Special Education (reduction of 1 admin position) (2)

Move all stipends like STAR testing coordinator etc. to an
administrative duty

Facility Manager positions: Only have one or eliminate both and
assign duties to APs like parity districts. Emergency Prep and
Custodial can return to M & O Director. (reduction of 1 or 2
management positions) (2)

Eliminate 1 AP position at the junior high level

Overstaffing at Secondary schools, i.e.: multiple Assistant Principals

Reduce the work year for all administrative and management
personnel
ADMINISTRATION

Re-evaluate proposed junior high AP ratio - to match high schools 1/400 students - possible job share? Less than this impacts the sites
tremendously

Re-look at the amount of time Principals/Assistant Principals are
required to attend sports events at night

Eliminate Management retreats or have them locally or at D.O. to
reduce costs. Have them bring their own food and snacks. (2)

Have all Classified Management positions drop back to Supervisor pay
until the budget crisis is over. They have been Supervisors in the past
to save money.

Enforce management working with employees to use their vacation
hours during the year earned
CERTIFICATED

Reduce Special Services staff

Freeze hiring of auxiliary employees like Enrichment
Specialists and Intervention Specialists

Reduce 1 Behavior Specialist position (1 position reduction)

Eliminate “Literacy Coaches”

Eliminate safe schools positions (2)

Reduce counselor contract by 5 days

This is not a cost saving measure, but a consideration of
equity:
Counselor ratios to be equitable across the district.
Junior highs: 1: 500
High Schools: 1: 350 (National Standards suggest counselor
to student ratios of 1:250)
Small Necessary Schools: CD + SM + CR: 1 counselor
SA + VO: 1 counselor
CERTIFICATED

Raising teacher ratios to 160. Class maximums would still be
32, but a teacher could have 5 sections of 32

For teacher subs for partial days, create a master sub schedule
where teachers would be "on call" on their preps for a one
week period, covering a class if necessary. In any given week,
teachers may or may not have to sub during their prep,
depending on how many teachers need a partial day sub for
that week. This master schedule would be created at the
beginning of the year and there would be 3 to 5 teachers each
week "on call" (or whatever number would make sense for a
site). Teachers would be prepared for their "on call” week.
Provide a cost analysis for how much is expended on subs
each year. If this saves jobs, teachers might be willing risk
losing a prep or two during their "on call" week.
CERTIFICATED

Monitor usage of subs – OK with high enrollment classes

Eliminate staff stipends for extra duties, i.e. dances,
supervising sports etc. (2)

Eliminate Staff Development days unless they specifically
address giving teacher’s new information/ techniques

Significantly reduce the number of school business leaves for
teachers which would reduce the cost for subs

Schedule all district meetings after school is out eliminating the
need for partial day subs ($63.00 plus benefits) (2)

Explore different grade level configurations to balance
enrollment with staff
CLASSIFIED

Employees be given the option of voluntarily taking a five
percent pay reduction

No new classified positions

Reduce or Eliminate clerical positions at the D.O. that were
added in the last year (additional HR, Technology, others?) (3)

Look at all new classified and confidential positions before
determining any areas for layoffs

Furlough non-essential D.O. positions in summer

Seriously limit or eliminate comp time for classified employees
as it reduces the use of vacation and increases the District’s
cost liability for unused vacation
CLASSIFIED

Custodians: Merge elementary custodians into teams of 2 who
would be responsible for the evening cleaning of 3 schools (this
will eliminate 2 full time custodial positions.

Custodians: Create a rotating night Custodial team to service
elementary sites and at secondary sites clean classrooms every
other night

Custodians: Reduce Custodial time from twice a week to once a
week at Transportation Yard

Custodians: Have services every other day

Custodians: Long-term custodian subs only (after 3 consecutive
days off). No subs for vacation days taken during regular school
days.

Hire outside cleaning service for evenings and summer
CLASSIFIED

Forgo classified vacation 5 day "overage" pay outs
on unused prior year vacation hours (management
to work with employees to place on mandatory
vacation to reduce the liability) without impacting
student services

Offer "senior" classified a one time only retirement
incentive - same as been offered to certificated,
management and confidential (minimum age 55 and
20 service years required)
CLASSIFIED

Transportation: Eliminate Bus Driver’s reimbursements or put
a cap on meals while on field trips (2)

Transportation: Eliminate weekend CASTO workshops which
would eliminate the need to pay overtime and the cost of the
workshop

Transportation: Driver/Trainer position reduced to 11 months
until the budget crisis is over

Transportation: Secretary position reduced to 11 months until
the budget crisis is over

Transportation: School buses should not be taken home at the
end of a route, they should be returned to the bus yard
CLASSIFIED

Technology: Do we need three Computer Support
Technicians plus a Director of Technology (4)

Expand the role of campus supervisors and assign
other duties as needed, i.e. help with day custodian,
cover ISS, etc.

Food Services: Eliminate breakfast program at
schools that have a loss i.e. Grant, Cherry Valley,
Penngrove, and McNear This is 6 hours per day
labor and major savings in food cost

Freeze all "clothing" allowances for one year only
PERSONNEL (general)

Consider mandatory furloughs for all employees

Encourage administrators to watch probationary periods and to
evaluate their employees so that only the 'cream of the crop'
are retained

Cut staff at the D.O. to commensurate with cuts occurring at
the sites.

All district employees to take a % decrease in salarieseveryone! Roll back to 06/07 or 07/08 levels? (2)

Freeze all movement on all salary schedules for one year only play catch up on step and (column) in 2010-2011

Scrutinize the use of Personal Necessity leave (employees
need to complete the forms in advance when possible) (2)
PERSONNEL (general)

Look at all positions that have increased from 10 or 11 months
to 12 months

4/10 hour day work schedule

Eliminate all mandated trainings

Training/staff development through adult education

Look at outside contractors vs. a 1/2 or full time position with
the District

Have website maintenance done by a District employee rather
than by an outside vendor

Reduce the number of holidays in the contract
PERSONNEL (general)

Job descriptions could be made available on line instead of handing
out hard copies to anyone that comes in (savings on paper and
postage costs)

Intrusion alarm installation done by district electricians and not an
outside contractor

Don't extend any financial benefits received from a grant to other sites
when they could have applied for the same grant but didn't; for
example paying for SLC from general fund dollars

What cuts are being considered at District Office? What positions in
the Administration Building are being evaluated for what is
“essential”?

For future consideration: The District/Board to not grant lifetime
district paid health and welfare benefits to any employees; this
recommendation is based on the negative financial impact as recently
demonstrated in neighboring districts
FINANCIAL

Increase facility use fees (4)

Increase transportation fees (3)

Raise Community Education fees

Increase % of Department cutbacks

Grants generated to provide personnel, programs for students

Coordinate and provide smaller districts services, i.e. food and
transportation to generate revenue

District-provided preschool; before and after school childcare,
fee-based

Continue to offer First Aid, CPR, computer skills training
classes, Parent Ed, etc. through Adult Ed, in partnership with
other district departments and programs
FINANCIAL

Solicit donations from the community. District to ‘lighten up’ on
fundraising rules

Raise the threshold on who qualifies for free or reduced
transportation

Allow Food Services to sell Starbucks coffee type drinks at the
High Schools (3)

NO first class mailings unless it is a certified letter. Postage is
going up again in May. (this could be a savings of thousands of
dollars)

Also, NO handwritten letters because they have to be sent first
class

Eliminate paying for home Internet use for Cabinet and Board
members

Reduce Administrative costs
FINANCIAL

Eliminate all “perks” throughout the district. i.e.- cell phones,
cars, mileage, travel, conferences etc.

Eliminate/stop all projects or contracts that are not already
guaranteed. (fully funded) (2)

Pony deliveries: Monday, Wednesday and Friday's with the
exception - on payroll deadline day at month's end. (a savings
of 8 labor hours per week) (3)

Pony deliveries: Eliminate summer pony driver, warehouse
person can deliver on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Printers: Look at how many printers in a Dept. and the cost of
operation. Could reduce the number of printers in the D.O.

Print on recycled paper as much as possible
FINANCIAL

Individuals could have the option of purchasing their own ink and
paper

Centralize printing at sites to reduce the number of printers

Downsize semester brochures, reducing printing and postage costs

Reduce the amount of photocopies used in the classroom with a best
practices focus on strategies that cut the dependence on handouts

Eliminate the use of District Vehicles to do lunch runs

Make sure students do Independent Study when on trips for ADA to
District

Encourage teachers to recommend that students purchase their own
textbook
FINANCIAL

Mail semester report cards to all students only. For progress report cards, mail
only to students with a D or an F, distribute all other report cards to students in
classes. This puts the responsibility of grade communication and parental
notification of grades on the student where it should be except for students
with failing grades. Provide cost analysis of savings

Barcode all textbooks and have a central check out clerk who works full time
for the first and last two weeks of school. This might have an initial cost, but
will most likely save money in the long run in text book recover. Withhold
report cards and diplomas for students who have outstanding textbooks. If the
process were barcoded, then lists of students with texts would be easy to
compile and bill.

Eliminate mailing the District Booklet to administrative applicants and do not
reorder booklets when our current supply is depleted

Enforce recycling efforts to reduce our garbage bills

“Save a Teacher” fundraiser

In general, cut budget furthest from students (2)
FACILITIES

Consider moving some 6th grades to PJHS so that
elementary schools can take more students

Consider making PJHS a K-8 school and closing an
elementary site

Close district office 1 day a week

Close Adult Educ. office during Spring Break

Conduct energy audit at all sites and departments to
identify ways in which to reduce use and save
money
FACILITIES

Utilities - reduce usage - less water and electricity. Give each site
information about the site's monthly electric and water usage. Let
schools reduce electricity use by some percentage, say 10%. Provide
cost analysis for savings for each 1,000 kilowatt hours (or whatever
measure makes sense). Sites could choose how to reduce electricity
use. (4)

Utilities: Lock and monitor A/C and heating thermostats to confirm the
timers are working correctly and efficiently. Monitor the air conditioner
in the summer and open the doors. (2)

Utilities: Turn off heat and cooling over weekends and holidays (2)

Utilities: If temperatures are 70 degrees or above turn off all heaters
District wide

Utilities: If temperatures are 80 degrees or below turn off all AC units
District wide
FACILITIES

Allow site control of watering systems

Unplug and remove all classroom and office
appliances, heaters, etc. (3)

Turn off all computers, printers and screens at end
of day and over the weekends (6)

Lighting - in the DO three florescent tubes are
enough, and bathroom and staffroom lights should
be turned off. (4)

Blackout elementary sites for 2-4 weeks over the
summer
FACILITIES

Cut out landscaping maintenance

Charge city sports/athletic programs for clean
up/fixing of fields

Continue to maintain the playing fields for sports but
replace some lawns with inexpensive ground
cover/native plants

Mow lawns every 2 – 3 weeks instead of weekly

Eliminate spraying over holidays
FACILITIES

Work with Booster Clubs, District wide, for cash
donations to maintain athletic fields

Portables that could be eliminated? San Antonio,
Casa P1, Valley Vista, McNear, MCSCV?

Don’t move forward on the proposed new leased
portable at McKinley for Adult Ed

Consider taking some common vacation days over
summer months, so facilities can close

Solicit rentals of space, such as church and the like
SCHOOL YEAR

Change teaching/school attendance to 4 longer days
a year instead of the standard 5 days

Summer School:
1) eliminate Summer School, or
2) have fee based summer school for enrichment, out of
district attendance, and acceleration opportunities, or
3) have for students who are deficient in credits and in danger
of retention only, or
4) eliminate K-8 and only have it for 9-12 (5)

Cut 5 days of teaching- district-wide
SCHOOL YEAR

Eliminate year round schedules to save on
transportation, personnel and services

Have year-round schools on the same calendar

Have all schools throughout Sonoma County on the
same school year calendar (3)

Shorten school year for some or all programs
SUPPLIES

Conserve office and instructional supplies

To reduce paper costs- increase on-line productivity. Have all
forms available to staff and families on-line

Reduce classroom use of paper-less copies, more board work,
overheads and textbooks. Let’s use what we have and stop
copying it

Cut back on paper and copy machine usage. Use overheads
and transparencies when able...students can utilize pencils and
their paper for assignments

Freeze all bottled water deliveries except for health/safety
reasons; Stop buying bottled water for meetings. Use pitchers
of water instead of bottled water. (3)
SUPPLIES

Seek out warehouse donations for furniture, office supplies

Take an Educational Services inventory of office supplies to
share

Avoid unnecessary printing – send electronic copies to sites;
scan and e-mail documents as pdf; use recycled paper to
print(2)

Eliminate most cleaning chemicals and go to a product that is
an all-purpose type cleaner at 1 ounce per gallon dilution rate.
One gallon of cleaner will cost approx. 18 cents as opposed to
61 cents per gallon.
CURRICULUM

Reduce excessive paperwork, like BTSA. Most of it can be done
on-line

Eliminate 2nd year BTSA

Class Size Reduction: Revise or drop (maybe for 2 years) (2)

Class Size Reduction: Only in grades K through 3. What data
exists that small class sizes in 9th grade improve student
performance? Do we have fewer D's and F's in the 9th grade
because of class size reduction? Do more students receive B's
and A's because of class size reduction in the 9th grade?

Class Size: Monitor and close low enrollment classes
CURRICULUM

Review cost/reward ratios for all alternative ed programs to
determine which programs continue to be justifiable

Reduce the number of SDAIE sections. Good teaching
strategies include SDAIE methodology so reducing the number
of SDAIE sections should technically not be too harmful to EL
students. Maintain levels of EL, and some sections of SDAIE,
just reduce the quantity - i.e., no SDAIE Algebra 2, no SDAIE
Chemistry

Reduce the effort and "manpower" invested in the SART and
SARB process at the site and district level. Send letters to
parents, conduct one group meeting a month for example, but
limit the staff investment in getting kids to come to school.
This is really the parent's and student's responsibility to attend
school.
CURRICULUM

Eliminate 0 period for all but Band, PE, and Art classes.
Students may take only 6 classes. This would change the
school day and would require the shared decision making
process, but if jobs are to be cut, this might save jobs, so
teachers might be willing to entertain this idea. Do a cost
analysis so we could see how much the 0 period day costs the
district. So many kids take 5 classes in the junior and senior
years, that I don't think that we would be harming students. For
those students who want to get ahead, they can take extra
classes at the JC. Other students, who have less money for JC
classes, could take lots of AP classes at the site. Band classes
would not have the double requirement. The cost savings
would be that all classes fall in the 6 period parameter, making
scheduling and staffing more flexible and that students
wouldn't be taking 7 classes although we get reimbursed for 6
only.
CURRICULUM

Do STAR testing every-other-year or just say no. Is 2nd grade
testing optional? What is the cost? (2)

Freeze textbook adoptions

Explore magnet/specialized programs at elementary sites, i.e.,
dual immersion, GATE, science/technology

K-3 schools and 4-6 schools

Middle school grades 6-8 instead of junior high grades 7-8

Score primary writing samples at sites – save $ on subs

Reduce number of assessments – (paper cost, subs) (2)
CURRICULUM

End Edusoft – cost/benefit – too costly and little or no benefit

Cancel in-service days – not student days (if we must cut days)

Save sub dollars: No Springboard – CANCEL TODAY for next week

No Curriculum Council to save sub dollars

Cancel Leadership Symposium – TODAY!

4 x per year ELRT meetings can be reduced – save $ for subs

Eliminate “Petaluma Network” and District Consultants - too many
sub days (3)

Discontinue Report Card Committee. Do we need the expense of all
the meetings, printing, etc. at this time?

Do not adopt new instructional materials
MISCELLANEOUS

Stop feeding people at meetings, including interview
committees, Board members at Board meetings, etc. (2)

Eliminate health care, if any, for Board of Education members
(remember, they are elected)

Put Board of Education packet on computer discs to reduce the
amount of hard copies being made

District owned vehicles - limit use to work related only - not to
be used for lunch runs or other personal errands...(2)

Recycling all paperwork

Boys & Girls Club provide fee-base child care at the elementary
summer school program
MISCELLANEOUS

More thought can be put into how we ship UPS/Fed Ex/USPS. We
could use ground methods more often which would reduce shipping
costs significantly. Last minute mailings should be avoided as much
as possible as it sometimes triples the cost

Use Pony and SCOE AV whenever possible rather than postage mail

With the installation and use of the TransTracks software we could
discontinue the hard copy of the application

Cut down on copies of documents

Cut back on paper and copy machine usage; Scan copies when
possible and send via e-mail

Consolidate trips to Home Depot and Lowes.
MISCELLANEOUS

Reduce coverall clothing delivery from weekly to bi-monthly. It
is suggested we have only one delivery site for both
Maintenance and Transportation.

At the Maintenance Yard inventorying stock on hand so
everyone knows what is on hand rather than buying something
that is already at the shop. Keep minimal stock on hand so as
not to tie up other operating funds.

Purchase frequently used items, such as: safety glasses,
gloves, zip ties, rain gear, batteries, etc., in bulk at a larger retail
outlet rather than buying from Masselli's at premium cost.

Evaluate dust mop service for savings at all sites

Eliminate transportation for all sports except football and track
MISCELLANEOUS

District should use in-house resources before contracting out
jobs. For example, the District Newsletter and Pathfinder are
compiled by two professionals (copywriting & design) - why
can't we have the high school journalism and computer classes
work on these as a project. Same for the District website currently we pay lots of money to an outside web developer
and are not able to make changes easily. For example, when
Adult Ed wants to cancel a class they are told that it is too
expensive to change it on the website so people are signing up
for classes that have been canceled. This is a project a
computer teacher would love to have. By doing this the
students are receiving invaluable work experience and the
District would save lots of money. If there is a concern about
students doing the work, there are possibly available people in
the District Office who could take on these responsibilities
MISCELLANEOUS

The number of copying jobs that are sent out to Minuteman
could be greatly reduced if our machines were utilized more
efficiently.

We have wonderful resources right at our fingertips that are
not being utilized fully - both people and machinery

Inform and communicate with teachers and staff as the
budget details for 2008-09, 2009-10 become clearer

Focus is to keep cuts as far away from classroom as
possible! (4)