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School board focuses on cuts

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District board will take one more look at the proposed $2.6 million in cuts tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 17, before making the final cuts at a special meeting next Tuesday.

The apparent demise of redevelopment districts statewide means the school district may be receiving money that has been going to redevelopment districts in both the City of Sonoma and in the Springs.

But in a memo to the school board, Deputy Superintendent Justin Frese said, “the decision seems to be positive for schools, who are expected to receive funding through this change, but the specific income estimates are still not yet known. We will be watching the (redevelopment) issue closely, and will bring a revised multi-year projection to the board once more information is known.”

The proposed cuts the board will be discussing tonight have been the subject of almost two-dozen meetings since September with the board, administrators, teachers and staff, and other stakeholder groups such as the Boosters.

Some of the larger cuts include five furlough days saving $542,420 and three buy-back days for staff development for an additional $325,000.

But those two cuts alone would mean about a 4.4 percent pay cut for district employees.

Other items on the cut list include cutting funding for the Sonoma Valley Adult School ($267,000), reorganizing custodial services ($506,620) and eliminating class-size reduction in the second grade ($200,000).

Frese also warns the board that the state will cut an additional $375,000 this year because the state failed to meet revenue projections. Frese’s memo warns the board that the cuts will be in two parts – $55,000 in average daily attendance reductions and $320,000 in transportation.

The meeting has been moved to the meeting room at the district offices, 17850 Railroad Ave. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.