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More cash rolls in for reducing class size

CUSD looks at options for $1.8 million 'extra' in governor's budget

By Katherine Petersen

The Cupertino Union School District got a pleasant surprise when Gov. Pete Wilson's revised budget, released May 14, earmarked $1.8 million more than expected for local schools.

While $450,000 of that sum must be used to reduce class sizes, the balance can be spent in other areas. The budget must still be approved by the state Legislature.

The question now facing the board will be how best to spend the windfall. At a May 20 school board meeting, CUSD's 18-member budget advisory committee presented its recommendations, some of which included developing new staffing positions. The committee comprises parents, staff, teachers and other community members.

The group would like to see a second technology resource teacher for training and one-on-one support, another electronics staff member for quicker equipment repair turnarounds and an increase in staff development, teacher support and clerical staff.

In addition, the committee recommended forming a technology task force to study districtwide hardware and software standards and how to further integrate the Internet into curriculums.

"We are deeply concerned about inequity of technology among schools and classrooms," said Cheryl Karp, chairwoman of the budget advisory committee.

Board president Sandra James said it is difficult to balance the needs of the district as a whole with each school's site council, which spends some discretionary funds.

The CUSD budget calls for changing the work schedules of five full-time intervention specialists who work with at-risk kids at five targeted schools.

"We have heard that the program really works," Karp said. The program has helped Nimitz Elementary School drop its suspensions from 40 per year to 10, supporters say.

The district wants to have 10 part-time intervention specialists at 10 schools, but the budget advisory committee believes each school needs a full-time person for the job.

Class-Size Reduction

Instead of paying $666 for each student in a class with 20 or fewer students, the governor's budget recommends $800 per student. That accounts for $450,000 of CUSD's recent windfall.

But the balance could also be used to further enhance the class-size reduction program.

The district's current plan is to continue class-size reduction in first grade and add half-day programs in kindergarten and second grade, said Robyn Phillips, the district's assistant superintendent of fiscal services. The plan will leave the district with about $500,000 in unfunded costs.

With some additional funding, the board could change its mind and choose an alternative plan, Phillips said.

The budget advisory committee was divided on expanding class-size reduction. Some members advocate expanding the program, while others prefer to see an evaluation before continuing further.

The district would need to spend an additional $618,000 to lower class sizes in third grade for half of each day. No additional classrooms would be needed for a half-day program.

For full-day class-size reduction in second grade, the district would need to hire nine more teachers and create 39 new classrooms.

If the district could come up with 70 more classrooms, it would only cost $508,00 to implement full-day class-size reduction in second and third grades.

"The teachers sort of pay for themselves," with the state funding, Phillips said. "The problem is where to find the facilities."

The board was set to revisit the class-size reduction issue at its May 27 meeting.

Flexibility in facilities funding

The state provides some assistance to schools that don't have the classroom space to lower class sizes. But CUSD does not qualify for this money because it has five campuses that it doesn't use, which are leased to private entities. The district also has general learning centers at each of its schools. The learning centers count against the district because they can be used as classrooms, although administrators, teachers and parents would prefer to use them for other activities.

The district would like to see more flexibility in eligibility requirements for facilities funding, so they could get the money to buy portable classrooms for class-size reduction.

"A change in criteria would be the best possible solution," Phillips said.

Assemblyman Jim Cunneen has lobbied for more funding to aid school districts such as CUSD in creating classroom space. The latest proposal from the governor's office offers more flexibility in use of class-size reduction funds.

Districts will receive more money and be able to spend a portion of the money on classrooms rather than having to spend the entire amount on operating costs, such as teachers' salaries. Money spent on facilities for class-size reduction would be considered a loan. But if the money is used correctly under the governor's proposal, it would not have to be paid back.

If the district can borrow against the next year's funding and not have to pay it back, the proposal could be beneficial, Phillips said.

"It's not quite clear how this new plan will benefit our district," Phillips said.

Other options for freeing up classroom space include year-round schooling, reopening leased school sites and purchasing portable classrooms.

"This new program is a step in the right direction. It gives more funding and more flexibility with that funding," said Bob Hines, Cunneen's chief of staff.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, May 28, 1997.
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