Schools

SVUSD Board To Address Potential Layoffs, Deficit

Budget woes could result in the loss of the equivalent of 15.4 full-time teaching positions at SVUSD in the coming year.

By the end of the 2014 school year, Saddleback Valley Unified School District could be facing a $28-million deficit, according to an interim financial report recently compiled by the district.

The budget overview statement—which the district is required to prepare because of its uncertain financial future—estimates that SVUSD will wrap up the current school year $38.4 million in the black.

But its ability to stay out of the red in coming years remains unclear. If voters approve a tax-hike measure Gov. Jerry Brown plans to float on the November ballot, he has said that the nearly $7 billion raised would be dedicated for education and public safety.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Brown's measure would add a half cent to state sales taxes for four years and raise income taxes on wealthy Californians for five years, according to a statement he released in December.

However, its failure would leave the state's K-12 education system facing severe budget cuts.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the SVUSD report, those cuts could push the SVUSD budget into negative territory as early as 2013. Balancing the district's books would require cuts of $0.9 million in 2012-13 and a whopping $33.3 million in 2013-14, the report estimates.

In preparation for the worst-case scenario, the board will vote at its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting on a list of potential pink slip recipients. Layoffs could touch up to the equivalent of 15.4 full-time teaching positions, according to the list.

Since state law requires that SVUSD notify employees by March 15 if they could be laid off, it's possible the number of layoffs will be fewer than currently estimated, especially since contract negotiations with employee groups are ongoing.

Those negotiations are on the closed session portion of the evening's agenda.

An initial three-year contract proposal submitted by the California Schools Employee Association is scheduled for a public hearing during the evening. Its members—classified employees, such as maintenance workers and bus drivers—are asking for a 2.8-percent salary increase plus a cost-of-living adjustment in 2012-13, among other items.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Education Center Board Room at 25631 Peter A. Hartman Way, Mission Viejo.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here