The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District is facing an $3.2 million deficit this fiscal year.
Patrick Bernhardt, the executive director of business services, prepared a presentation for the school board outlining the district’s financial status. Each December, school districts are required by the California Educational Code to report their financial status from July 1 to Oct. 31 to certify whether they can meet their financial obligations for the current year and the next two years. According to the school district’s newsletter, the school board approved this report and submitted a positive certification to the Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools, stating that it can meet its obligations for all three years.
According to the presentation, a 5% raise for non-management staff that was approved in June was a factor in accruing a $3.2 million defecit. Employees under the District Teachers’ Association and California School Employees Association negotiated a 5% raise, and management employees were granted a 2% raise. This is the first time that these expenses were incorporated into the budget, a $2.4 million increase in personnel costs, which make up 81% of budgeted general fund expenditures.
Despite administrative reorganization saving some costs, the overall salary expenses for certificated administrators increased by 8.1% due to paying for a long-term substitute administrator at Saratoga High School and the the last two months of the former superintendent’s separation payments.
In its adopted budget, the school district initially prepared for a balanced budget of about $84.7 million in revenue and around $82 million in expenditures. However, by the first interim update, the district was expected to earn $86 million in revenue and spend the same amount. The district initially planned to transfer around $2.68 million to other funds, but that figure is projected to increase to almost $3.3 million this fiscal year.
To address the deficit, the school district is looking for ways to cut costs, including but not limited to evaluating its contract services, examining special education spending and upgrading energy efficiency.