Quick Take
Live Oak School District's board heard from teachers and parents Wednesday on the recent news that the board faced a financing crisis. Among the concerns: higher-than-average administrative costs and preserving the jobs most important to student well-being.
About 60 Live Oak School District teachers, employees and community members attended the district’s Wednesday evening board meeting, most of them concerned about the district’s impending budget cuts, including layoffs, amid its budget crisis. Ten people expressed concerns during the public comment period.
“We’re in a crisis,” said Del Mar Elementary School teacher Lauren Pomrantz. “What we need to do is trust that the board and the district who is in control of funding and managing our district does that in a way that allows us to do our jobs.
It was the district’s first board meeting since the Santa Cruz County Office of Education told the district last month during a presentation that it was at risk of not meeting its financial obligations in the upcoming fiscal year and would need to make difficult decisions.
During public comment, concerned community members asked the district how the finances could reach this point and urged board members not to lay off employees who they felt were at risk of being let go. The district board is finalizing a stabilization plan, including an undisclosed number of layoffs, and has to approve the plan before March 15.
Citing the fact that no item on the agenda related to the district’s financial situation, the district’s governing board members didn’t directly address the public comments. Board President Kristin Pfotenhauer said she appreciated people coming to speak up.
“As you know we cannot speak to those [comments] today because it’s not on the agenda but we have heard you, and we’ve been taking notes,” she said.
Some teachers expressed frustration that the district failed to manage its budget while maintaining a “top-heavy” district office compared to other districts of similar size. Others who spoke urged the board not to lay off mental health workers and specific employees who they say have significantly contributed to the well-being of students.
Several teachers cited a California Department of Education average percentage of total district expenditures spent on medium-sized elementary school district’s administrative salaries of about 5.62%, compared to what teachers said was Live Oak School District’s figure of more than 9%.
Pfotenhauer disputes the data and said the district’s estimates show that its administrative salary expenditures are on par with similarly sized districts.
Parent Tammy Summers asked the district board who was being held accountable for the budget crisis. She told them she spent hours going through old budgets and board agenda documents.
“It makes me wonder, how did this shortfall happen?” she said. “One thing that I did notice is the positions growing at the district level. Those positions, from my knowledge, don’t directly impact the education our kids are receiving.”
She said she hopes to see more transparency around the budget.
After 10 people spoke up during public comment with similar concerns, Pfotenhauer briefly addressed them and continued on with the agenda, and the majority of the 60 people left the meeting.
District Superintendent Daisy Morales didn’t directly address the public comments during the meeting, but did acknowledge the district’s financial crisis. She added that the stabilization plan will go before the district board for approval either on Feb. 21 or in March. Once the board approves a plan, it must send it to the County Office of Education.
During the board’s discussion of the items on the consent agenda – which included raises for the superintendent, several assistant superintendents and a range of positions including classified substitutes and yard duty/crossing guard sub – board member Felicita “Cita” Rasul, said it was difficult for her to approve the raises amid the crisis and hearing teachers’ concerns.
“Initially, my intention was to ask to remove that so that we can discuss it further,” she said. “It’s really hard to just say OK.”
Rasul emphasized that the board is having serious discussions about the budget, the raises and the decisions they’re making.
“I was a teen mom and people in this room taught my kids, who are in their 30s. People that have been in this room were raising my kids along with me,” she said. “So it’s very personal and very difficult.”
The board then unanimously approved the consent agenda items including the raises. Board member Jeremy Ray was absent.
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