Las Lomitas School District: Record grant from schools foundation Las Lomitas School District: Record grant from schools foundation (June 29, 2005)

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

The projected 2005-06 budget for the Las Lomitas Elementary School District approved by the district's governing board on June 7 predicts good news moderated by some that's not so good.

With estimated revenues of $12.9 million, the district expects $7.8 million in property tax revenues -- a 7 percent increase -- and a $925,000 grant from the annual fundraising campaign of the Las Lomitas Education Foundation, said De Modderman, the district's business officer.

The foundation's gift represents a 5 percent increase over last year's $880,000 and sets a record, said president Beth Henninger. Every year, a portion of the gift -- the "fund a need" category -- is earmarked for a particular purpose. This year it will support visual and performing arts programs, said Ms. Henninger.

Anticipated expenses are $12.6 million, including $130,000 that would replace the state's 2-percent-of-salaries contribution to the teachers' retirement fund.

The proposed state budget for 2005-06 would transfer the state's 2-percent obligation to school districts and allow districts to pass the costs on to teachers, who now contribute 8 percent of their salaries. If the provision is enacted, the Las Lomitas district will not pass the costs on, but will draw the money from its reserve fund, said Ms. Modderman.

The teachers may have other concerns when the district learns the costs of health-care premiums for the coming year, said Ms. Modderman. The district's share of health-care costs is already at its maximum, so further increases would likely come out of teachers' pockets unless the district's cap is adjusted upward in contract negotiations, said Ms. Modderman.

With this year's budget, the number of music and teaching-support staff is restored to pre-2003-04 levels; the district had cut expenses by some $500,000 during that fiscal year. Funding for district-funded staff development and field trips is yet to be restored, said Ms. Modderman.

The district has not yet discussed salary increases with the teachers, said Ms. Modderman. Costs for administrators' salaries are projected to rise 41 percent. The district recently hired Seth Ceely, the district's first director of special education, and English language development teacher Sue Sartor was appointed assistant principal at Las Lomitas School.

Mr. Ceely's salary will be drawn in part from what the Las Lomitas district was paying to the Menlo Park City School District when the two districts shared special education resources. That share was not shown in the administrative-salary category in previous budgets, said Ms. Modderman.

The Las Lomitas district's reserve is expected to be $1.3 million, or about 10 percent of the budget, where it's settled for the past few years, said Ms. Modderman. The state requires a 4 percent reserve.

"It's pretty much a status quo budget," she said.
A new look

The Las Lomitas district office is undergoing a $600,000 makeover involving rearranging interior walls, replacing the 25-year-old carpet, and bringing the restrooms, building entrance and parking lot into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The district's maintenance facilities are also being upgraded.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.