At its recent board of trustees meeting on March 25, the San Marino Schools Foundation launched a new campaign to restore 20 teaching positions and related programs across all four SMUSD school campuses.
The “We are San Marino” campaign (which starts today) has a trustee-directed goal of raising $2.3 million to fund positions that include instruction in core academic classes and special programming such as visual and performing arts, career technology education, foreign language, and speech and debate. The proposed cutting of 31.2 full-time employee positions was announced at the March 10 meeting of the San Marino school board, which, by law, is required to present a balanced budget for the 2020-21 school year. Legally, the district was required to notify employees of possible job eliminations by March 13 or it would have been forced to continue to fund the positions next year.
“Our stark new reality is that 50% of all of our teachers will be funded by local sources, including donations and parcel tax revenue,” said Erin Bilvado, president of the San Marino Schools Foundation. “Without 100% participation of all families and community members, our quality school system will be devastated.”
The decision by the Foundation came about as a result of the proposed job cuts. This reduction in teaching positions is caused by multiple financial stressors on the SMUSD, including mandatory increases in healthcare and pension costs for its teachers. In addition, the district receives decreased public funding due to declining student enrollment. The imbalance between expenses and income forced the district to balance the budget by proposing to eliminate the 31 teaching positions for next school year.
“To avoid the permanent elimination of these teaching positions, the district needs to identify funding sources for these positions by its next board meeting on May 12, 2020,” Bilvado said.
“We Are San Marino” is a special campaign.
“We are stopping our existing campaign to focus on this immediate need,” said Bilvado. “As for the timeline, we are starting the campaign today. We have a deadline of May 12 to raise $2.3 million. The school board will decide at that May 12 meeting how many positions will be eliminated for next school year.”
The decision represents the first chapter of a five-chapter “engagement playbook” by the San Marino Schools Foundation. “This proposed engagement playbook will explore the various funding elements that are needed and the integral role that everyone plays in fostering an educational system that is second to none,” Bilvado said. “Supporting our teachers and students is even more critical today during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pink slips have compounded the stress on our teachers and students.”
As the order to “shelter in place” continues to be extended and has resulted in the closure of San Marino’s campuses, the Foundation urges the community to be safe and suggests tax-deductible donations be made online at WeAreSanMarino.smsf.org/.
“The legacy of San Marino Unified School District is our students,” said Superintendent Jeff Wilson. “Right now, that great legacy is threatened by a profound fiscal crisis. Please join together to ensure that future generations of Titans experience fully the excellence of an outstanding San Marino education.”
Schools Foundation Launches Campaign To Save Teachers’ Jobs
