LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the district facing fiscal challenges over the coming three years, the Lakeport Unified School District Governing Board will hold a special Tuesday night meeting to discuss a deficit recovery plan and other cost-saving measures.
The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.
The physical meeting location will be limited to the board members and selected senior administration to ensure recommended guidelines for social distancing are practiced.
Members of the public can participate in the public session of the meeting via Zoom: https://lakeportusd.zoom.us/j/82436949714.
On Tuesday night, the deficit recovery plan is one of the main agenda topics.
“Due to the District’s declining enrollment and increased pension contributions, the District may be unable to meet its financial obligations within the next three years,” wrote Chief Business Official Joseph Silveira in a report to the board.
Silveira said the Lake County Office of Education requires districts in “qualified status” – those that can’t meet their financial obligations – to formulate a deficit recovery plan.
“Based on the First Interim Report, it is recommended that the District reduce at least $300,000 for the 2021-22 school year,” Silveira wrote. “To address this ‘deficit spending,’ the District has worked in collaboration with the Local Control Accountability Plan and Budget Stabilization Committee, school site personnel and the administrative team to formulate a deficit recovery plan that maximizes resources and minimizes the impact to student programs.”
In a letter to Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg, Lakeport Unified Superintendent Jill Falconer wrote, “The District believes that it must reduce expenditures by $668,000 to address the structural deficit, costs to negotiations, and the cost for two additional teachers.”
She said the deficit recovery plan is due to the Lake County Office of Education by March 15.
In other business, the school board will consider a resolution regarding the reduction or continuance of particular kinds of services in order to lay off the equivalent of one full-time teaching position.
The services to be cut include one period each of 21st century life skills, current events, earth science and computer skills, and two periods of physical education.
Due to an increase in the minimum wage requirement, the board will separately need to consider updating the classified substitute salary schedule.
The board also will consider approving an application to the US Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Grant Program to complement the new Clear Lake High School agriculture class, which includes a greenhouse and outdoor planting area.
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Lakeport Unified School Board to discuss deficit recovery plan at special meeting
- Elizabeth Larson
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