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SAN BENITO — The school district’s new board of trustees is proposing a $96.8 million general fund budget coming with a $51.19 million fund balance along with 2% employee raises as officials set out to work to boost a low student attendance rate.
During a June 27 meeting, trustees are expected to pass the budget that board President Orlando Lopez described as “a healthy budget.”
But Lopez said he’s considering pushing for higher employee raises.
“I think we really need to look at it,” he said, adding bus drivers received $2 hourly raises during the last school year while officials overlooked custodians.
Meanwhile, Lopez said officials are planning to work to boost a 91.3% average daily student attendance rate that’s fallen nearly five points behind the state’s average.
“That, to me, was a little alarming,” he said during an interview. “It’s a key point. It affects our funding.”
For every student attending class, the state gives the district about $5,500 a year, based on a formula.
“We have to come up with a plan to increase that,” Lopez said, referring to the attendance rate.
During the three-year coronavirus pandemic, many parents pulled their children out of school to curb their chances of contracting the COVID-19 virus, while the district offered home-bound students remote instruction.
But some parents continue keeping students out of school, with some home-schooling children while others are enroll them in academies offering virtual instruction, Lopez said.
“We really need to get the kids in the classroom,” he said.
Attendance drops
During a June 22 workshop, Monica Mata, the district’s chief financial officer, told board members the average daily student attendance rate stands at 91.3%, noting the state’s average ranges from about 94% to 95%.
Now, officials are working to boost the rate to about 93% to 94%, she said.
“I think that needs to go up,” Lopez told board members during the workshop. “It’s something strategic that we really need to focus on, especially with the expenditures that are coming. We want to do a lot of great things in the district and we want the kids to come to school, so I think we really need to focus on that.”
Amid discussion, Superintendent Theresa Servellon proposed offering snacks such as ice cream to help lure students back to school, adding officials have shown classroom treats help boost attendance.
Budget breakdown
During a presentation, Mata proposed a general fund budget coming with $96.14 million in revenues and $96.8 million in expenditures, awaiting $1.2 million in state funds while tapping $2.18 million from $51.19 million in cash reserves.
The proposed budget compares with the district’s current $99.5 million general fund budget.
As part of an overall proposed budget of $115.8 million, officials are setting aside $88.8 million, or 77%, to cover payroll, with $56.8 million earmarked for teacher salaries and classroom supplies such as computers while $4.3 million would cover the district’s administrative expenses, Mata told board members.
The proposed budget also includes $9.8 million for overall supplies, with $4.4 million set aside to cover travel expenses and $8.5 million to pay debt, she said.
Under the budget covering the district’s instructional program, officials are earmarking $10.4 million to cover maintenance expenses, $9.4 million to fund student food services, $4.4 million for student transportation and $3.3 million set aside for security and monitoring, she said.
