How about an expense reduction committee? Schools & Kids, posted by Another committee, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 5, 2010 at 7:42 am
PUSD has established a revenue enhancement committee, but the flip side of that is expenses.
Think PUSD should also establish an expense reduction committee that looks at the entire PUSD budget, and can identify expenses that can be eliminated.
Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore, on Feb 5, 2010 at 6:11 pm
seems to me that the head doesn't know what the tail is doing...keep it simple...whenever you talk about crunching numbers, you gotta chew on it for awhile...then swallow...ping!
Posted by Sid, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Feb 6, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Reduce expenses? Fiscal responsibility and sacrafices? Are you crazy? That would be out of the question...just keep asking the taxpayers for more money.
Posted by Sandy Piderit, a resident of the Mohr Park neighborhood, on Feb 6, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I would like to join a budget study committee, something more oriented toward brainstorming ideas by combing through the budget than the BAC seems to be. We would have to figure out a way to do it without overwhelming the remaining financial services staff with questions, though. I don't want to ask someone to sit with us for two hours every week.
Posted by Sandy Piderit, a resident of the Mohr Park neighborhood, on Feb 7, 2010 at 8:19 am
"Really?": I think there is a sense among some members of the community that cabinet and the board have not combed through the budget in sufficient detail to identify cuts away from the classroom. Things like "management perks."
I would like to understand more about the non-personnel expenses, and about the unfunded mandates for special education. There may not be any potential cuts there, but I think it's worth looking.
Posted by Amador Parent, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2010 at 9:28 am
Jerry,
If PUSD doesn't want to allow a "non-patisan" group to comb through all the financial records, then School Board claims that they want to be transparent with the community are a lot of hogwash.
Sandy, you are right that there are members of the community who don't believe that administration and the school board have not combed through the budget in sufficient detail to identify cuts away from the classroom.
As long as there's a sense that there are things being hidden, especially items like management perks, the community doesn't trust PUSD.
It's in the best interests of the community for PUSD and the school board to be completely open and honest about all expenses.
It's unfair to discuss cutting teachers' salaries until the community is certain that all the expenses that have nothing to do with the classroom are first identified and cut.
Cutting teacher salaries or laying off teachers should be a last - and temporary - resort to resolving the budget problems.
Posted by Common sense, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2010 at 11:11 am
Did any of you either attend or watch the board meeting of 2/2?
I was highly disappointed to hear some things, like Chris Grant patting himself on the back for his (and Jamie's) role on implementing items such as elemetary school counselors.
Those guys seem out of touch.
Of course what can we expect? Only people who actually went to college know about what is needed to get to college - and counselors are not it.
And fiscal responsibility starts at home. People who went through personal foreclosure cannot possibly know how to run a district.
I am all for a committee that looks at reductions, from perks like car allowances to unnecessary staff and union perks.
But what is the chance of these board members really looking into it? Watching the board meeting made me see these folks do not understand the fiscal reality and they definitely do not know what it takes for students to be accepted and stay in, good universities.
Posted by resident, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Will some responsible adults PLEASE step up and run for the board in November. I realize it a difficult and probably unpopular task, but without you we are doomed to more of the same nonsense.
Posted by Common sense, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 9, 2010 at 8:46 am
"Will some responsible adults PLEASE step up and run for the board in November. I realize it a difficult and probably unpopular task, but without you we are doomed to more of the same nonsense."
The problem is incumbents have a greater chance to win.
In 2008, there was a great candidate with great ideas but little funding and he lost.
Instead, the community elected people like Jamie and Chris.
The only good board member elected in 2008, imo, was Arkin.
A post even asked about Jamie's educational background, only to get replies that it did not matter, etc. People who grew up in Pleasanton and have friends here are getting elected without real qualifications.
We need a qualified candidate, but also the community needs to really learn and question this candidates. Whether a candidate has a college degree or not DOES matter. How else does a school board member know what it takes to get to College and graduate?
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