Lemon Grove School District Makes More Cuts in Effort to Close Potential $3.9M Deficit

Facing a shortfall worse than previously anticipated, the governing board of the Lemon Grove School District took action Tuesday night to start closing the gap on a potential $3.9 million budget deficit. With no relief in sight from Sacramento on tax extensions needed to make ends meet, the school board cut part-time classified staff and five full-time preschool teachers.

“We can’t live without them, but we’re going to have to until things get better,” Board President Katie Dexter said about the employees.

The board voted 3-2, with Blanca Brown and Jay Bass opposing, to lay off the classified staff. The board unanimously approved the cut of preschool teachers.

To keep the district running, the board voted 5-0 to transfer $1.9 million in flexibility funds to the district's general fund.

Special education assistants, media specialists who staff the schools’ libraries, typists, a community health representative, a parent volunteer coordinator and a night custodian were among 49 mostly part-time positions slashed from the budget. Five full-time preschool teachers were let go based on the drastically reduced funding available for the preschool programs. The layoffs will take place no later than June 30.

The resolutions left board members looking grim.

“I’m at a loss as to what to do with this,” Bass said, looking at the number of eliminations proposed.

“One position isn’t any more or less valuable than another position,” Dexter said, while calling on the board to keep looking at the district’s guiding principles regarding the budget. “We’ll just do what we can to make things work.”

Other actions approved by the board Tuesday night include:

• The district will offer an early retirement package to classified confidential/management employees.
• The district authorized the $41,000 cost to amend the mitigated negative declaration related to the joint-use library project. In response to the declaration, the Lemon Grove City Council has requested revisions to the traffic, noise, scope and other portions of the document.
• The district signed a sale agreement with the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which is purchasing three of the district’s compressed natural gas school buses for $37,000.
• The district signed contracts with Lawrence Roll-Up Doors for a new aluminum-counter door at Golden Avenue School at a cost of $5,100; Aztec Paving for asphalt repairs at San Miguel School at a cost of $1,679; and California Mobility for testing of wheelchair lifts at all the elementary schools at a cost of $500.

The next regular meeting of the school board is at 6 p.m. April 26 at the Lemon Grove Community Center.