PaliHi Faced by Major Cuts in 2010-11 Budget

By Danielle Gillespie, Staff Writer

2010-03-04
In the midst's of the state's ongoing financial crisis, Palisades Charter High School administrators are anticipating a potential $1.1 million budget shortfall in the 2010-11 school year.

  Meanwhile, the school could lose nearly half of its student population if LAUSD follows through on its proposal to eliminate busing service ('LAUSD Proposes Ending PaliHi Buses,' published February 18), resulting in additional lost revenue.

  'If busing is cut, it would have a huge impact,' PaliHi's Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held told the Palisadian-Post.

  The Los Angeles Unified School District, facing a $640-million deficit, has proposed eliminating transportation for 1,180 PaliHi students for an annual savings of $2 million.

  Since the late 1970s, LAUSD has paid to transport students to the school through two integration programs that are mandated under the Crawford v. Board of Education of Los Angeles lawsuit, which was filed in 1963 to end segregation in the district. Students are also bused to PaliHi through Public School Choice, a No Child Left Behind mandate, and through another district program that is meant to alleviate overcrowded schools.

  Dresser-Held is hopeful the school can reach an agreement with LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines to keep the busing program. She and PaliHi's Operations Manager Maisha-Cole Perri have submitted a proposal to the district, suggesting that PaliHi's and Paul Revere Middle School's buses be consolidated for a savings of $1.2 million and PaliHi's afternoon pick-up buses be reduced to save another $500,000.

  On February 11, PaliHi hosted a meeting to inform parents and students about the potential cuts and talk about solutions. This month, administrators will send out surveys to the students and their families, asking if they can still attend if transportation is cut, Dresser-Held said. They collected about 200 surveys at the February meeting, but the sampling size was not large enough to make any determinations.

  Administrators are also preparing for a drop in enrollment by extending the fall 2010 application deadline for all grade levels until April 15 in hopes of receiving more applications. The lottery will be held April 29.

  'I am doing community outreach, so we have enough kids to be fiscally solvent,' PaliHi's Director of Student Services Monica Iannessa said. PaliHi, with a student population of about 2,800 and a $22-million operating budget, received $5,831 per student from the state this school year. Seventy-five percent of the high school's total revenue comes from state funding sources.

  Iannessa is reaching out to middle schools and community organizations, especially in ethnically diverse areas, to let them know that there could be openings.

  'Our goal is to maintain a similar student body,' Dresser-Held said. 'Diversity is an integral part of the identity of this school.'

  So far, Iannessa has received about 1,200 applications from students all over Los Angeles and 80 percent are from incoming freshmen. The Palisadian-Post reported on April 9, 2009 that the school had received 1,475 applications for 950 openings for this school year.

  'It's hard to plan for admissions and build a budget, when the ground is moving beneath us,' Dresser-Held said.

  Right now, administrators are looking at ways to reduce the budget by $1.1 million. Teachers' salaries and benefits make up 80 percent of the budget, while the remainder is spent on food service, facilities, textbooks and other operating expenses.

  'Union negotiations are happening on a parallel track [to the budget process],' Dresser-Held said. 'Since 80 percent of our budget is personnel, there may end up being some negotiable items.'

  Dresser-Held said that PaliHi did not have to lay off teachers this school year, and she hopes to keep the staff intact this fall.

  'We will do everything possible,' Dresser-Held said. 'The busing situation is a huge X factor. If you don't have enough kids, it impacts viability.'

  Some California schools are reducing their number of instructional days to save money, but PaliHi's Chief Business Officer Greg Wood said this is not an option. PaliHi is already operating at 175 days, the minimum amount required by the state.

  School leaders have already decided to suspend traditional summer school for a savings of about $60,000. Summer school will be available only for those students with Individual Education Plans, meaning students with delayed skills or other disabilities.

To save money in the current fiscal year, the PaliHi board of directors voted unanimously on February 16 to freeze textbook spending, except for the library, for the remainder of the spring semester, which could result in a savings of about $100,000. Teachers had until February 28 to submit requests for textbooks.

School leaders are also exploring ways to generate more revenue through fundraising and grants. This school year, PaliHi raised $80,000 from the annual giving campaign, but paid $20,000 for mailings and the fundraising consultant.

'We need to be raising a whole lot more,' Dresser-Held said.

Wood said that PaliHi might also be eligible for money from President Barack Obama's Race to the Top program.

PaliHi leaders are seeking input on what should be the school's overarching goals and priorities as they make these tough budget decisions. Stakeholders are encouraged to fill out a survey on the school's Web site: palihigh.enschool.org. Click on State of the Budget'We Want Your Input. Suggestions can also be dropped off in the school's main office. The board of directors will approve the new budget in June.

Information: (310) 230-6623.