Budget
Teacher's union leader blames governor for ALL of CUSD's financial woes, ignores Fleming-era trustees role in crisis
Feb 14, 2008
Vicki Soderberg, The Capistrano
Dispatch “We
have no one to blame but the governor of
California. To ask teachers and children to bear
the burden of their mismanagement up there in
Sacramento is immoral.”
That's great, Vicki. Fleming would be proud. We certainly wouldn't want to tell the whole story and risk ruffling the feathers of the Fleming-era trustees who were responsible for the majority of CUSD's financial crisis (years of deficit spending). Better to point fingers at a common foe and suck up to the lame ducks who just might hold the line on those non-classroom cuts a little longer before they get booted from office for years of neglect and mismanagement. Soderberg is president of the Capistrano Unified Education Association.
Read More...CUSD spokeswoman admits district was in financial crisis BEFORE state cutbacks
Jan 23, 2008
Beverly de Nicola, Los Angeles
Times "The district made
$13 million in cuts this year, and $7.5 million of
next year's cuts were planned before the governor
announced billions of dollars in cuts to public
schools earlier this month."
Due to years of mismanagement and deficit spending by the Fleming regime, CUSD already faced a financial crisis before the recent state cutbacks were announced. This is the inconvenient truth the senior trustees and staff will attempt to cover up by pointing their dishonest fingers at the state. The Fleming trustees and staff are responsible for the draconian cuts already planned due to the pre-existing financial disaster they created. Now, due to years incompetence, they have assured that the impact of the state cutbacks will be even worse for CUSD than many other, more responsible districts. De Nicola is spokeswoman for CUSD.
Due to years of mismanagement and deficit spending by the Fleming regime, CUSD already faced a financial crisis before the recent state cutbacks were announced. This is the inconvenient truth the senior trustees and staff will attempt to cover up by pointing their dishonest fingers at the state. The Fleming trustees and staff are responsible for the draconian cuts already planned due to the pre-existing financial disaster they created. Now, due to years incompetence, they have assured that the impact of the state cutbacks will be even worse for CUSD than many other, more responsible districts. De Nicola is spokeswoman for CUSD.
Smith addresses overspending and dangerously low reserves, confirming recall advocates claim that CUSD is a district in crisis
May 09, 2007
Reform advocates have exposed CUSD's financial mismanagement and corruption for years, often referring to CUSD as "a school district in crisis." Smith is the interim Superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District.
District confirms years of deficit spending, confirms reform advocates claims of Fleming Trustees' fiscal irresponsibility
May 09, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "The district has
spent more than it has taken in for five of the
past six years, resulting in a $4.1 million
deficit in this school year and a $6 million
shortfall in 2005-06. Its reserves are a little
higher than the legally mandated 2
percent."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Smith presents plan to end years of irresponsible spending habits of Fleming Trustees
May 09, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "Superintendent
Dennis Smith on Monday presented a general plan of
cuts, transfers and new revenues that he said will
get the district out of the habit of spending down
reserves and failing to plan for teachers raises.
The adjustments, which were not voted on by
trustees Monday, will be in the budget the board
considers in June."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
CUSD spokeswoman prepares district for staff cuts
May 09, 2007
Beverly De Nicola, The Orange County
Register "The next step
will be to fine-tune it and figure out how much
this will affect people. Because when you cut $13
million, you cut people."
De Nicola is the spokeswoman for the Capistrano Unified School District.
De Nicola is the spokeswoman for the Capistrano Unified School District.
Smith's plans for cuts and increased revenues
May 09, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "Eliminating some bus
routes with few riders and consolidating some bus
stops, for a savings of about $1 million; Raising
facilities use fees and selling obsolete school
buses, part of a plan to raise about $400,000;
Cutting staff positions to save about $4.2
million, including $2.1 million in teacher
salaries."
Officials don't know whether the cuts will come from laying off people or not filling positions of employees who leave. Teachers under contract can't be laid off, as pink slips would have had to have gone out before March 15. Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Officials don't know whether the cuts will come from laying off people or not filling positions of employees who leave. Teachers under contract can't be laid off, as pink slips would have had to have gone out before March 15. Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Smith's four guiding principles in budget planning
May 09, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "Smith last week
said he had four guiding principles in budget
planning: ending deficit spending; carrying a
larger reserve; planning with multiyear
projections; and budgeting teacher raises in
advance."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Trustees' attempt to sell surplus land to cover budget deficits comes up short
May 09, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "Trustees also agreed
to try again to sell land in Laguna Niguel, a
month after bids for the 2.4 acres on Paseo de
Colinas came in smaller than expected. The largest
bid was $4.8 million, below the $6 million minimum
required. The school district reappraised the land
and has set the minimum bid at $4.8 million."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Smith's four guiding principles for the budget, addresses automatic allocation for teachers' raises
May 06, 2007
Smith is the Superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District.
Trustees to consider millions in budget cuts, leasing out district office space to raise $400,000 per year
May 05, 2007
Volzke is the publisher of the Capistrano Dispatch.
Teacher raises will strain district with $4 million more in cuts beyond $9 million shortfall already identified
May 03, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register “Union officials
figure the raises mean 8.19 percent more total pay
over two years. The raises could mean more cuts
for CUSD, which had already faced a $9 million
shortfall after years of deficit spending. A
package of proposed cuts will be announced next
week by new Superintendent Dennis
Smith.”
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Surplus property sale delayed due to low bids, could strain budget
Apr 10, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "The
real estate sale Capistrano Unified needs in order to
balance its 2007-08 budget will be delayed at least a
couple months, after bids for the district's surplus
property came in lower than expected. The district is
counting on the sale – which has been planned since
2004 – in both its budget planning and its teacher
negotiations."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Land sale delay could affect teacher salaries and retirement fund
Apr 10, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register "Part
of the district's offer to teachers includes a 0.75
percent pay raise once the land sale goes through;
waiting on the sale would mean a delay for when
teachers would see that raise, if agreed to. And
CUSD's 2007-08 budget projections, to which trustees
are still looking to make cuts, depends on the land
sale to erase a $2 million-per-year annual debt the
district owes to a public retirement
fund."
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
Miller is the South Orange County education reporter for The Orange County Register.
No part of budget should be exempt from cuts
Mar 29, 2007
Bryson is one of the ABC Reform Trustees.
District says deficit spending and flattening enrollment caused budget crisis
Mar 29, 2007
Eric Hall, Laguna Niguel
News “Capistrano
is facing significant budget challenges because of
two converging forces: three of four years of
deficit spending, and flattening enrollment ... It
has caused us to pause and take a look at making
budget reductions.” Hall is
CUSD's interim deputy superintendent of business
and support services.
Trustees should have anticipated teacher salary increases
Mar 29, 2007
Ronda Walen, Laguna Niguel
News “You’d
think they would anticipate a salary increase and
build it into their budget ... Stability is
everything.” Walen
is president of the 2,000-member union for
classified workers.
Even with cuts, not enough to pay teacher salary increases
Mar 29, 2007
Sam Miller, Laguna Niguel
News “Even
with the expected cuts, CUSD would have little
left over to pay salary increases – about $3.7
million, or about 1.5 percent more for all
employees. Raises typically are nearer to the
state-allocated Cost of Living Adjustment, which
CUSD expects to be more than 4
percent.” Miller
is the South Orange County education reporter for
the Orange County Register.
McCully blames $9 million shortfall on bad decisions
Feb 23, 2007
McCully says district could save with in-house lawyer
Feb 23, 2007
Trustees cut 22 positions, but more cuts needed
Feb 23, 2007
CUSD eliminates top guidance counselor as budget-cutting measure
Feb 18, 2007
PTA leader presumes to know what's best for Morgan and ignores impact on children
Feb 18, 2007
Parent expresses concern about impact elimination of guidance counselor will have on children
Feb 18, 2007
Donna Furniss, The Orange County
Register "We're forgetting
about the middle-of-the-road child. My child is
one of them. The only place I got help was Debbie
[Morgan]. He has a 2.7 GPA, but he's bringing it
up. Why is he bringing it up? He had someone who
cared." Furniss
is a CUSD parent.
Trustee Bryson cautions district's reserves dangerously low
Jan 04, 2007
Trustee Bryson considers FCMAT to help with CUSD's fiscal crisis
Jan 04, 2007
Sam Miller, The Orange County
Register “Anna Bryson said
she asked district staff to put together a report
on what role the Fiscal Crisis and Management
Assistance Team could play in CUSD, and how much
it would cost to hire FCMAT.”
FCMAT
conducts management reviews for California school
districts, charter schools and community colleges.
Its experts can review and recommend policies in
various areas of education administration, ranging
from student transportation to special education.
Miller is the South Orange County education
reporter for The Orange County Register.
Enormous salary increases paid to two of CUSD's worst offenders
Jan 02, 2007
Mike Winsten, Trabuco Canyon
News “CUSD provided
three enormous salary increases to two of CUSD’s
most controversial deputy Superintendents -- Dan
Crawford and David Doomey. ... Doomey (who many
believe is the person most responsible for
creating the CUSD portable classroom crisis)
admitted CUSD had provided “misinformation” to the
public as to how CUSD would fund the new
$52,000,000 administration office ... During the
recall, Crawford was roundly criticized for
publishing a letter in the O.C. Register that
grossly understated the total number of portable
classrooms actually utilized by CUSD.”
Soderberg critical of Trustees' budget decisions that repeat same mistakes
Nov 24, 2006
Vicki Soderberg, The Orange County
Register “If you budgeted
in salary increases for employees, you wouldn’t
have to cut anything ... You’re taking this new
money and putting it in other places, and you’re
telling me you have to cut? It seems like a
continued pattern.” Soderberg
is president of the Capistrano Unified Education
Association, a teachers union.
Trustees avoided cuts and paid raises during recall by depleting reserves
Nov 24, 2006
Sam Miller, Saddleback Valley
News “It is a
turnaround from last year, when the district gave
teachers a raise, reinstated spending such as the
popular class-size reduction program and avoided
cuts that officials had warned were pending. The
district avoided those cuts last year by spending
reserve funds down to the legal minimum of 2
percent. No such cushion exists this year. Those
reserves are gone, while services, programs and
employees must still be funded.”
McCully identifies Trustees' budgeting failures and challenges
Nov 24, 2006
