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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Thursday, November 19, 2009
High Notes Despite Budget Cuts
By Polly Summar
Journal Staff Writer
It's hard to face an expectant public with an upbeat state of the schools address, given the budgets cuts the district has endured this year, but Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez hit some positive notes Wednesday afternoon at the Roundhouse.
Gutierrez said one of the district's greatest successes was the passage of the general election obligation bond in February for $160 million, thanks to a large voter turnout even during very tough economic times.
A significant portion of the capital funding money went to replace portables at elementary schools with working classrooms and to add new music, art, science or library rooms, including $7.5 million to Piñon, $9.4 million to Kearny, and $10.9 million to Cesar Chavez, all some of the district's largest elementary schools.
But Gutierrez also reminded the audience — about 75 people turned out to hear her in the Capitol Rotunda — that the school board cut the district's operational budget by $4.5 million in May after the state's general fund commitment to education was reduced by $165 million in the 2009 Legislative session.
“And in just a few days we will further reduce this year's budget by another $1.5 million to meet the cuts generated in the special session last month,” Gutierrez said.
Additionally, the unit-based formula for public school funding from the state has been reduced three times in the past seven months, Gutierrez said, “setting us back more than six years.”
Cutbacks made this far into the school year actually pack a double whammy, she explained: “For example, a 10 percent cut six months into the fiscal year is really a 20 percent cut since there is only about six months left to apply the cuts.”
If any further cuts are necessary, Gutierrez said, they could result in larger class sizes; the elimination of educational assistants; reducing employee salaries or the number of employees; closing and consolidating several schools; restricting athletics to weekends or eliminating athletics; eliminating student transportation; eliminating instructional materials; eliminating substitute teacher funds; using cash balances to supplement operating budgets; and depleting emergency funds.
Gutierrez urged the audience to contact Gov. Bill Richardson and their local representatives about tax reform for corporate entities, “sin taxes” and possibly an increase in the state's gross receipts tax in order to fund education.
Despite concerns earlier in the year about the district's adequate yearly progress scores under No Child Left Behind — the federally required system for assessing schools — and graduation rates at Santa Fe High and Capital High, Gutierrez said there was good news within the numbers.
While only five schools made AYP — Acequia Madre Elementary, Carlos Gilbert Elementary, Wood Gormley Elementary, Turquoise Trail Charter and SER/Academy — Gutierrez said, “Some of our schools increased the percent of students proficient in language arts and mathematics by as much as 35 percent.” In that category, the superintendent recognized Salazar, Cesar Chavez and Sweeney elementary schools.
Gutierrez said that while the cohort graduation rate — tracking a class of students over a four-year period starting in the ninth grade to their graduation in 12th grade — had decreased over the past few years from 65 percent to 59 percent, the number is on the rise again, increasing to slightly over 60 percent for the 2008-2009 school year. That figure is similar to the statewide graduation rate of 60.3 percent, the latest figure released this fall.
Among the good news of student achievement and special honors came kudos for teachers. Gutierrez said five district teachers became nationally board certified this past year: David Call, Agua Fria Elementary; Abigail Fox, Santa Fe High; Paula Iveland, Capital High; Lorraine Palmer, Wood Gormley Elementary; and Amanda Perdomo, El Dorado Community School.
More than 100 district teachers moved from Level 1 novice teachers to professionally licensed teachers at Level II; or from Level II to Level III, master-level teacher status.
The district also recently partnered with the University of Texas at Arlington so that teachers interested in higher education can pursue an affordable online master's program in education.
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