State Revenue Spike Could Save PUSD Librarians

An unexpected spike in state revenue could mean that Pasadena Unified could hold on to librarian positions that were on the table as potential cuts in the district's budget next year.

The state saw $6.6 billion in revenue above projections, according to district officials.  With more money now available in the state's budget, Brown released a revised plan earlier this month that allocates an additional $3 billion to California schools.

Though that might appear to be extremely good news for the district, at Tuesday's PUSD board meeting, the district's Chief Finance Officer John Pappalardo cautioned that substantial cuts would still be required over the next two years.  His recommendation is that district carry out $6.3 million in budget reductions combined with $5 million in one-time funding that is set to expire. 

That means that the budget situation could still turn out better than the district's worst case scenario of next year alone, but only if the governor's budget is passed in its proposed form, if revenues continue to be strong, and if several other factors work in the district's favor, Pappalardo said.

The tentative nature of the new budget situation was not lost on board member Renatta Cooper.

"I was counting the number of times you said 'if' and I think I got to seven," Cooper said.

Superintendent Edwin Diaz said that the district could chose to spread the cuts over the next two years, or focus the cuts in just one year.  The board will also have to decide which jobs and programs to prioritize.

Some of the cuts labeled most severe include special education and librarian jobs, some of which board members said at the meeting they hope to save. In total, the district has issued for staff members with teacher's credentials.  Not all of those teachers will necessarily lose their jobs, but they have all been notified that they could.

Pappalardo said at the meeting that a board subcommittee is working on a plan that would protect the librarian jobs.

The board will consider a more detailed plan at next month's meeting, and Diaz requested that the board pass a budget plan at that point.

In the mean time, board members will likely continue to hear from parents, teachers, and other groups looking to save PUSD programs - at Tuesday's meeting parents from a child care and after school program showed up in large numbers to ask the board to keep their program funded.

As for the , there was no discussion of the new revenue going to save the schools.  Board member Ramon Miramontes, who opposed the closures, said in an interview that he does not expect the closures to be reconsidered at a later meeting either.