Despite Balanced Budget, California’s Central Coast Still Expects School Cuts

Even though California was able to balance its budget last Thursday after several all-night sessions in the Legislature, educators in the state’s Central Coast are still facing layoffs.  Barney Finlay, the top finance official for Santa Cruz County Schools, said it was clear that the total countywide budget would exceed $25 million dollars, leading to layoffs of teachers and staff.

“It’s a pretty dark day for education,” Finlay said. “Out of this, districts are going to have to repackage their service of delivery.”

Senior administrators in Santa Cruz have offered to take furloughs and have shaved some of the cost of administration, resulting in a 2 percent salary reduction.  The board will vote this Wednesday on a package that could save $4.5 million over the next year and a half.

“I am confident that the final layoff notices in May will be less than what has to be preliminarily identified,” said Deputy Superintendent Tanya Krause. “This is definitely not my favorite time of the year.”

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