WUSD looking for budget feedback

Dear WUSD Partners,

As you know, the global (COVID-19) heath pandemic has created a dramatic financial crisis across the world, our nation, and our state. While California is facing a pandemic-induced deficit of $54 billion, public education will face extreme reductions in funding. Gov. Gavin Newsom presented a blend of proposals (May Revision) that aim to lessen the impact. Regardless, these proposals continue to significantly reduce funding to public education. At the top of the list, the state budget includes a 10% (approximately $6.5 billion) reduction to the Local Control Funding Formula, the primary source of funding for K-12 education. 
Since the indication that districts were needing to prepare for the impacts on local budgets due to funding reductions, the district administrative team, including myself, have been working to receive the most recent and expert information about recommended next steps. We have been in discussions with our district leadership team, employee group representatives and board about the general factors that we have been advised to prepare for. 
On May 20, a special board budget workshop was presented. It included the most up to date information about the May revision, our multi-year budget projection which reflected the state funding cuts. The presentation also included scenarios to address (and aim to fix) the negative balance in our ending fund balance beyond the 2020-21 fiscal year. Finally, a list of possible budget adjustments, developed by the district administrative team was presented; a list of ideas for budget adjustments and reductions (with the intention of balancing the impact, elementary to secondary, and attempting to stay as far away from the classroom as possible).  In order to avoid a negative fund balance in the out years, we would need to plan for $4 million in reductions.
At this time, we ask that you review the list (Editor’s note: please see the list of proposed cuts in our story on the meeting) and take the following steps, by May 26, if possible: 1) provide any feedback and/or questions about items listed; 2) provide suggestions for potential income opportunities to offset/adjust for expenses; and 3) provide suggestions of programs, services, items that should be considered for reductions.
Please send any information from those items to my***************@wu**.org. We will be keeping track of all information and present it to the board at its next special board budget workshop on May 28. 
On a more positive note, please know that we are continuing to investigate ways to realize future savings and to develop a system of restoration in the future.  We appreciate you and your input and support as we face our current reality. 
Brandon Krueger, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Windsor Unified School District