CUSD approves new high school site plans
By: PHILIP K. IRELAND - Staff Writer
District faces severe budget cuts under budget plan | ∞
CARLSBAD -- Carlsbad Unified School District trustees approved preliminary site plans Thursday night for a new high school to be built on a breezy hillside in northeast Carlsbad with an ocean view.
And on a gloomier note at Thursday's school board meeting, the trustees heard a report on the state's looming $14.5 billion fiscal crisis.
If the Legislature approves Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan for across-the-board 10 percent reductions in state funding, the district will need to cut $4.5 million from its 2008-09 budget -- a year after trustees trimmed $2 million in costs from 2007's $80 million budget to give teachers raises.
In addition to next year's proposed cuts, the governor is calling for immediate reductions of $360 million for schools across the state.
The district may be able absorb its share of the midyear cuts -- about $600,000 -- but that will "severely limit" the district's budgetary choices next year, said Walter Freeman, the district's assistant superintendent of business.
Superintendent John Roach proposed a "three-pronged approach" to preparing for the looming fiscal crisis.
Suzanne O'Connell, the district's assistant superintendent of instruction, will lead a committee to gauge the effects of all proposed cuts in school programs and personnel, Roach told the board. Second, Carol Van Voren, principal of Jefferson Elementary, will lead a drive to develop private funding sources to replace the shortfall. And third, Roach challenged all five trustees to begin lobbying state legislators to oppose Schwarzenegger's plan to suspend Proposition 98, the initiative approved by voters in 1988 to guarantee that schools were adequately funded each year regardless of economic swings.
Trustee Lisa Rodman said she will host a public meeting next week to begin planning the lobbying effort.
"I am not pleased to hear that report," board President Elisa Williamson told Freeman at the end of his presentation.
However, trustees said they were pleased to hear that state's school construction money -- held in a separate fund -- is safe from the governor's budgetary ax.
The district qualifies for about $21 million in school construction funds to use along with $198 million in Proposition P construction bonds approved by Carlsbad voters in 2006.
Plans for spending a $95 million chunk of Prop. P funds came a step closer Wednesday night when trustees approved preliminary plans for the district's second high school. The district is planning to build the school, as yet unnamed, on a hilly 56 acres at the corner of College Avenue and Cannon Road.
The site plans show two-story classroom buildings across the top of the hill with food services and administrative offices underneath. The gym and a performing arts building surround an open courtyard. The stadium, sports fields, tennis courts and parking lots are planned at the base of the hill.
-- Contact staff writer Philip K. Ireland at (760) 901-4043 or pireland@nctimes.com.
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how to cut budget? wrote on Jan 24, 2008 12:43 AM:Not overpaying district administrators would be a start.
To "how to cut budget?" wrote on Jan 24, 2008 11:43 AM:Define "overpaying" and how much would you propose to pay them?
Will Carlsbad City Council Step Up to the Plate? wrote on Jan 24, 2008 2:39 PM:Fact: There is nothing on the books that prevents the Carlsbad City Council from providing financial support for the Carlsbad Unified School District.
Fact: The City Council spent $70 million on a golf course (municipal bonds cover about $16.6 million of the cost of the project, with remaining financing coming out of the city's general fund).
Fact: Friday, December 7, 2007, the city's recently opened municipal golf course requested $900,000 in extra cash from Carlsbad's general fund to cover its expenses in the coming year.
While the City Council provides tens of millions of dollars for golf, will they help offset any of the $4.5 million the school district will have to cut from its 2008-09 budget?
Will the City Council Step Up to the Plate? wrote on Jan 24, 2008 2:44 PM:Fact: There is nothing on the books that would prevent the Carlsbad City Council from providing financial support for the Carlsbad Unified School District.
Fact: The City Council spent $70 million on a golf course (municipal bonds cover about $16.6 million of the cost of the project, with remaining financing coming out of the city's general fund).
Fact: Friday, December 7, 2007, the city's recently opened municipal golf course requested $900,000 in extra cash from Carlsbad's general fund to cover its expenses in the coming year.
While the City Council provides tens of millions of dollars for golf, will they help offset any of the $4.5 million the school district will have to cut from its 2008-09 budget?
Will the City Council Step Up to the Plate? wrote on Jan 24, 2008 2:45 PM:Fact: There is nothing on the books that would prevent the Carlsbad City Council from providing financial support for the Carlsbad Unified School District.
Fact: The City Council spent $70 million on a golf course (municipal bonds cover about $16.6 million of the cost of the project, with remaining financing coming out of the city's general fund).
Fact: Friday, December 7, 2007, the city's recently opened municipal golf course requested $900,000 in extra cash from Carlsbad's general fund to cover its expenses in the coming year.
Question: While the City Council provides tens of millions of dollars for golf, will they help offset any of the $4.5 million the school district will have to cut from its 2008-09 budget?
Will City Council Help Our Kids? wrote on Jan 24, 2008 2:52 PM:Fact: There is nothing on the books that would prevent the Carlsbad City Council from providing financial support for the Carlsbad Unified School District. Fact: The City Council spent $70 million on a golf course (municipal bonds cover about $16.6 million of the cost of the project, with remaining financing coming out of the city's general fund). Fact: Friday, December 7, 2007, the city's recently opened municipal golf course requested $900,000 in extra cash from Carlsbad's general fund to cover its expenses in the coming year. Question: While the City Council provides tens of millions of dollars for golf, will they help offset any of the $4.5 million the school district will have to cut from its 2008-09 budget?
To "Will the City..." wrote on Jan 24, 2008 3:17 PM:I think we got it now...
To NC Times wrote on Jan 24, 2008 3:28 PM:How can the clown with four of the same comment above be able to get this kind of coverage, yet you censor logocal thinking of other bloggers? Is this guy an NCT stockholder?
To "Will the City..." wrote on Jan 24, 2008 3:47 PM:Sorry, didn't realize that's why it was posted four times....
To the Person Calling Somone a Clown wrote on Jan 24, 2008 3:50 PM:When persons call others "clowns," I think most of us understand why their comments are ignored.
I'd rather be golfing... wrote on Jan 24, 2008 7:12 PM:I'm as dumb as dirt cuz I grew up in socal but boy do i like to dress funny and chase that little white ball around. carlsgooood is a bit screwy but everyone envys me for living here?
no one cares about the schools wrote on Jan 25, 2008 12:30 AM:the city council is too greedy to help the schools -- after all, kids can't vote. Golfers do! And developers kick in money for campaigns -- kids can't. Sad state of affairs for such a beautiful city to have to beg for crumbs for its budget. And I think the district administrators are overpaid, starting with the superintendent, but I don't think the teachers are -- not at all.
lancerfan wrote on Jan 26, 2008 9:31 PM:honestly i am still trying to understand why we are wasting our time and money on a new school. chs is already great and if the planning people focused on that for once maybe we would have a new football field by the year 2020 and maybe the students would have desks that we can fit in sooner and here is a real thought maybe we can get some soft wear in there so we dont have to use microsoft 95 anymore.
p.s. we could have had an extra 10,000 dollars to spend if we hadnt given roach his stupid raise.
and if people were really smart they would know that carlsbad unified has 10 million dollars set away for a rainy day and most districts only have 3 million but most people dont take the time to do that research now do they?
Ohmeomya wrote on Jan 28, 2008 4:33 PM:The city has their own fund and the school district has their own fund. "There is nothing on the books that would prevent the Carlsbad City Council from providing financial support for the Carlsbad Unified School District." And there isn't anything in the books that say that the city HAS to provide financial support for the school district either. Don't know what else they can take from the students. PTAs and boosters already fund those extras that the district can't provide (i.e.,PE, art, music). And BTW, I thought the new high school was not going go be a comprehensive high school. Has that been decided privately? So, why the performing arts building and a stadium? Sounds like a comprehensive high school to me. Where is the district going to get the money to OPERATE this new high school? Will it take funds away from the existing high school? Let's hope not, but we'll never know, wiil we?
Mad about all this wrote on Jan 29, 2008 4:40 PM:I think if we should be mad at anyone, or anything, it should be the politicians and our governors office. Why is California so in debt? We pay some pretty high taxes, and the cost of living is very high here too. What are they doing with our money that they have to cut funding for the schools? Maybe they should do without some of their luxuries, and cut the over- spending practices in Sacramento.
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