KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Facing deep cuts to its multimillion dollar budget, the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees will sit down in a special Tuesday night session to make what may be some of the toughest decisions of its members' tenure.

The open session of the meeting will convene at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.

The agenda and associated documents can be downloaded at www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us/#!/District/Events/130908-Special-Board-Meeting.html .

The board must decide which services to cut and which to keep in order to arrive at cuts to district services ranging between $1.6 million and $2.3 million for the next two years, according to district Superintendent Dave McQueen.

That higher budget cut number would become necessary if proposed tax measures aren't passed this June, McQueen said.

The district's budget ranges between $13 million and $14 million, he said.

McQueen said the board can implement many of the cuts unilaterally, while some items must be

negotiated with the collective bargaining units.

The 57-page budget packet includes a seven-page matrix of proposed cuts – staffing cutbacks; elimination of the sports programs, the yearbook class and K-Corps; closure of Gard Street School; closing Mt. Vista Middle School, creating two K-6 schools and a seventh grade through 12^th grade secondary school; and closure of Riviera Elementary and combining Kelseyville Elementary and Mt. Vista Middle School to create a “super campus.”

Last year the board voted against four possible scenarios, including closing Riviera Elementary, as well as other district reconfigurations. However, Board President Rick Winer said Monday that those options were back on the list “because they have to be.”

McQueen said the board will have to prioritize its services.

Because the board voted against closing Riviera Elementary, for 2011-12 “that one's kinda off the table,” but it has to be looked at because they're considering cuts for two years, McQueen said.

“We're going to get as many reductions as we can,” he said.

As a lead up to the decisions that must be made in this special session, Winer said the board received a report from a financial expert at its last meeting.

As part of the discussion, the agenda calls for the board to consider a fiscal recovery plan.

“Right now what we have is a list of elements that will eventually compose the recovery plan,” Winer said.

Winer said the board has to act on that plan soon. “We do have a deadline in that we have to develop an interim budget by the 15th of this month.”

Following its December interim report, the district recently moved into “qualified budget certification,” McQueen said.

He said districts are required give a multiyear projection of fiscal stability for the current year and two subsequent years. “While Kelseyville Unified is projected to meet its financial obligations for 2010-11 and 2011-12, it may not be able to meet its financial obligations for 2012-13.”

That concern led to the qualified status, McQueen said.

The district, facing dwindling funds from the state, has been living off of reserves. “You're seeing it all across our state and country,” McQueen said. “It's not like we're the only district going through this.”

McQueen said the district is working with a fiscal advisor, Susan Birch Grinsell – who was appointed by the Lake County Office of Education to help in developing a fiscal stability plan – in order to a reach a goal of “positive” certification in ensuing interim reports.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook told Lake County News that his office has oversight responsibilities in cases like Kelseyville, where qualified status is declared.

McQueen said 85 to 90 percent of the district's budget is for salary and benefits, and they can only cut so much out of that remaining 10 to 15 percent.

The district also must hand out teacher layoff notices by March 15. McQueen didn't have the number of layoffs available yet, but noted, “ We've had some resignations, so that's helped us.”

There are no easy decisions, and it's disheartening, said McQueen.

“It is so important that people see what the state is doing to education,” he said, noting the school would be OK if it was funded at the right level.

“It's just a terrible situation to be in,” Winer added.

McQueen said it's imperative that the governor's tax plan be implemented this summer.

He said he didn't get into education to have to carry out these kinds of cutbacks, but rather wanted to help students attain success in life.

“Unfortunately the state of California doesn't have the same idea,” he said.

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