Certain questions were raised at the May 11^th school board meeting regarding LVUSD’s proposed parcel tax, as well as its current financial practices.;We are continually searching for the best solutions to the critical challenges that the statewide budget crisis has created in our schools, and we are mindful of the sacrifices that all members of the community have had to make during this recession.;We hope that these questions and answers will address the concerns aired at the meeting.

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Since 2007/2008, State funding to Las Virgenes Unified School District;has been reduced 16%, over $13 Million lost per year.

Currently, 89% of the District’s money goes toward salaries and benefits for its employees.The remaining 11% is spent on school budgets, classroom materials, textbook consumables, utilities, transportation, insurance, legal costs, and miscellaneous obligations.

The District has worked over the last two years to increase local revenues and has made a total of $4,100,000 in cuts. As a result, class sizes have been increased, counseling, classified, and administrative services have been reduced, liability insurance premiums have been decreased, and librarian and college and career services have been eliminated. As of May 2010, management and certificated (teachers and counselors) staff have taken a 5.4% salary reduction.

Yes. Over the last two years, the District has cut the administrative positions of Director of Secondary Education, Assistant Director of Pupil Services, Indian Hills Principal, Elementary English Language Learner Coordinator, District ROP Coordinator, and Assistant Director of Maintenance and Operations.These cuts have contributed significantly to the $4,100,000 in total reductions (above) that the District has made over the last two years. 

The LVUSD website includes the 2009-2010 1^st and 2^nd interim budgets, 2009-2010 adopted budget, 2008-2009 unaudited actuals, the 2008-2009 1^st and 2^nd interim budgets, notice of finance committee meeting and finance committee meeting notes (January 2009), parcel tax exemption, 2007-2008 unaudited actuals, and the 2006-2007 annual budget.

LVUSD has received largely positive and encouraging results from polling regarding its proposed parcel tax. 66% of voters, enough to pass the measure, support the tax – a high number in the midst of the current recession and as compared to levels of support for similar taxes proposed by surrounding districts. Individuals polled agreed that one of the most important and beneficial aspects of a tax is that the revenue it generated would be guaranteed to go toward our local schools and could not be touched by the state government in Sacramento.

An Alternative Revenue Coordinating Committee (ARCC) is being convened this month to look at a combination of strategies to address the current crisis that the District faces.