State's Mid-Year Budget Cuts Cost BUSD $600,000

The mid-year cuts enacted last week by Gov. Jerry Brown will cost the approximately $600,000 in revenue for the 2011-12 school year, BUSD officials announced Wednesday in a press release.

This cut will not result in any reduction this school year, but will be taken from budget reserves., the release said. End-of-year reserves are still expected to be above the required amounts at the end of the 2011-12 school year.

According to Deputy Supt. Javetta Cleveland, BUSD’s chief financial officer, “We will face some challenges in light of what is happening in Sacramento, but because of good financial stewardship BUSD is in good shape in the current school year.”

The district faces a potentially challenging fiscal problem in the 2012-13 budget, the release said. Governor Brown has indicated that there will be further cuts to public education. That, coupled with a loss of roughly $2 million in federal stimulus money and a drop in student enrollment (ADA) due to enrollment in charter schools, would result in a significant revenue gap, resulting in a budget deficit for 2012-13.

BUSD Supt. William Huyett said, “We will have to wait for the Governor’s proposed budget before we can determine the size of our budget problem for 2012-13.”