Board Meeting March 9th - Agenda

Some very important items on the agenda this time around, including:

BUDGET CUTS - see agenda item for spreadsheets and supporting data in order to cut over 15 million dollars annually. Includes district wide support staff, special ed cuts, change of high school graduation requirements, more.

The Second Interim Report will be discussed.

14.4 Resolution ordering an election to authorize up to $348 million of General Obligation Bonds and establish specifications of the election order. Resolution PDF

Parent Involvement Policy Revisions

Certificated lay-offs / Agenda Item

Elimination of PM custodians at Diablo View Middle currently funded by City of Clayton

Roll over (through 2013) of current collective bargaining agreement with MDEA. Agenda

MDUSD Tuesday: $3 million cut , decision on secretaries postponed

Theresa Harrington of the Contra Costa Times was at the meeting tonight and has posted her report on the outcome.

Mt. Diablo school board approves about $3 million in cuts

It seems they may be going back to the "drawing board" on the decision to cut 23 office secretarial positions across the district. The plan to cut 5.5 million tonight, ultimately resulted in just 3 million. More cuts are planned for the February 9th board meeting.

I'm starting to hear more and more rumblings of a "walk out," or a march on Sacramento. It's hard to believe there's not a better way to deal with this crisis at the state level. Leave the kids alone.

Furlough Days in Martinez School District saves 140k per day

Will it work in the MDUSD?

"Mandatory furlough days have come to the Martinez Unified School District (MUSD) after administrators and the teachers’ union representatives agreed to take an unpaid day off on Monday, Jan. 25. Jan. 26 will be a minimum student day at the district’s nine schools."

Will our teacher union agree with their colleagues in Martinez? From the Martinez Gazette:

“Each of the employee groups are willing to help shoulder part of the budget crisis burden,” said MUSD Superintendent Rami Muth this week. “In answer to the District’s inquiry at the first session of whether Martinez Educational Association (MEA) would work with the District to address the fiscal crisis, MEA responded with a “yes” and demonstrated its willingness to do so by agreeing to a one day reduction in pay.”


Tomorrow, Tues January 26th, our MDUSD School Board will be meeting to discuss cuts. Check out the agenda, and note the cuts they're considering. You can find the cuts for consideration at item 13.2 and view the spreadsheet here. Note the items with the asterisk on the spreadsheet are being recommended for action tomorrow night, but may take action on any item on the list. It is a big list.

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Get Ready, more budget cuts to the tune of $12 MILLION, coming to a district near you

Yes, sad news indeed, with the news coming from the state, our board is faced with the daunting task of cutting yet ANOTHER $12 million dollars next Tuesday night at their board meeting.

Where will they cut? Read the Superintendent's Message outlining the cuts here: Message from Superintendent. He also answers many of the questions I hear frequently asked. The full list of cuts on the agenda for Tuesday will be available on late Friday.

We keep saying, "can it get worse?" Well, yes, it can.

Ready to see what 28 million in MDUSD cuts looks like?

Well, according to this morning's post at http://www.mdusd.net/ - it looks like we'll find out by June 2nd. To submit a balanced 3 year budget by June 30th, our school board is getting right to work. Projections are now that they will need to cut 28 million dollars from the MDUSD budget in the next 3 years. They will be working on the list of cuts at the June 2nd board meeting. So stay tuned to see what will be on the list.

Read more: NOW WHAT?

MDUSD: Budget Emergency Information

Click to the MDUSD website to view information about the district's budget emergency including links to the budget cut information, state budget information and updates about the parcel tax possibilities.

Tuesday's Important MDUSD Board Meeting 12/16

From Gary McHenry's Monday Memo:

For more than a month the Board of Education has been discussing and hearing comments about and suggestions for budget reductions. At a special meeting on Tuesday, December 16, the Board may consider not only some initial recommendations for budget cuts but also a proposal for a major revenue enhancement: a parcel tax initiative to be placed on the June 2009 ballot. The meeting will be held in the Little Theater at Northgate High beginning at 7 p.m. The most up-to-date list of proposed budget reductions can be viewed on the District web site, www.mdusd.k12.ca.us, at two locations accessible from the home page 1) by clicking on "Board of Education" and then "Current Agenda" (see Item 5.4) or 2) by clicking on "MDUSD Budget Reductions in the box titled "Budget Reduction Info" and then on the pdf file "MDUSD Budget Reduction List."

If you are concerned with the budget cuts and how they will impact your students and your school(s) - it will be important to attend. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming initiative to place a parcel tax on June 2009's ballot - its important to attend.

NOTE the location is different. This meeting will be held at Northgate High School's Little Theater and begins at 7pm. Don't forget to check www.mdusd.net for a live broadcast of this special board meeting if you are not able to attend.

Also note you can find the most recent list of possible cuts on the district site: www.mdusd.12.ca.us. For the list updated 12/16/08. You can get the agenda for the meeting at: http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mdusd/board_of_education/agendas/0809/12-16-08.pdf

Please note they are voting to approve some of the reductions at this meeting. Please note item 5.4 on the agenda at the link above. They include such items as:

21. Reduce contributions to summer school.
24. Reduce budget for Student Information System by $420,00 one time
27. Eliminate one vacant occupational therapy assistant
29a. Shift the cost of the Administrative Secretary's position . . . (read more at budget)
33. Shift funding for one FTE senior account clerk . . . (read more at budget)
58. Reduce one FTE staffing assigned to Mt. Diablo High School
70. Implement a "just in time" delivery program for ordering core items (read more at budget)

Devastating NEW Budget Cuts proposed to the MDUSD

Things aren't getting any better on the budget front for MDUSD and for school districts around the state. Check out the latest memo from Superintendent McHenry. Please keep your ears open for community meetings near you - they are coming. We all need to pull together and work for the good of this district, and of greatest importance, our children, their education and teachers.

I'm thankful we have a new board majority as we move into this unsure time, and next round of budget cuts. We will likely have to band together to demand our Sacramento representatives stop the cuts to our schools. Doesn't seem likely we can withstand these kinds of cuts without devastating wide-felt damage

The district is near crisis with these cuts. Take note, this is now MORE than the original 6.6 million projected - it is now closer to 17 million dollars! These next cuts could devastate every part of our district. Read on:






I can not find this memo posted on the district website yet, if you want a copy of the email, please email: mdusdparents@gmail.com and I'll forward you a copy of the above.

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