GUSD to Restore Furlough Days if Budget Allows

The district will be able to restore five of the eight scheduled furlough days for the remainder of the school year if the California Department of Finance announces in the coming weeks that the district will continue to receive flat-funding for K-12 education.

If the state announces that it will not make additional mid-year cuts to public education, Gilroy Unified School District trustees will continue their current model of 175 days of in-class instruction, according to Deborah Flores, the district's superintendent.

The district is currently working with a budget of $85 million for the 2011-12 school year and has seen 20 percent of its revenue cut over the past four years, Flores said. It currently receives about $260 from the state for Average Daily Attendance (ADA) for its K-12 students.

However, the district would have some sorting to do if it receives flat-funding. If the board tacks on an additional five days of class instruction, the new graduation date for both Gilroy and Christopher high would be changed from June 1st to the 8th.

Flores states that administration officials set the June 1st grad date in anticipation of the state making additional mid-year cuts to the already $3 million the district lost this fiscal year.

“We were planning ahead for the worst-case scenario,” Flores said. “We were waiting on whether or not the state would use the provisional triggers in the budget to make more cuts.”

Adding additional school days also means negotiations between the GUSD Board of Trustees and its teachers’ union. District staff would also have to agree to take on the extra days, according to Gilroy High School Principal Dr. Marco Sanchez.

"All unions for teachers and our classified staff would have to agree to extend days for the school year,” he said.

Sanchez said classified staff handle custodial, cafeteria, school bus and other related duties outside of the classroom.

Despite these issues, GUSD Board Member Tom Bundros said he believes teachers would be excited to have additional days to educate students, and notes that discussions are on their way.

“At the next meeting our budget forecast for next year will be made clear,” Bundros said.

The district will discuss budget and state-level funding, including the possibility of restoring furlough days, on Jan. 12 during a special study meeting. Board members will make a final decision on whether to restore the furlough days at the district's regularly-scheduled board meeting on Jan. 19.