Though Measure G failed to pass, FUHSD teachers won’t feel the crunch next year

MVHS is safe from teacher layoffs — for now. 



Since Measure G was rejected by voters in this month’s election, FUHSD has been scrambling to assess the impact of losing $5.2 million of parcel tax money. Last Tuesday, Nov. 10, Superintendent Polly Bove reassured teachers that their jobs were secure for the coming year.

Because the biggest expenditure in any school is personnel, teachers have been holding their breaths over the failure of Measure G. New teachers would have especially been affected; without tenure, they are usually the first to be laid off.

"It does make me feel better that [layoffs] won’t be for budgetary reasons," first year photography teacher Tyler Cripe said. "It makes me feel like my fate is back in my own hands." 



As the current parcel tax, Measure L, doesn’t expire until 2011, FUHSD won’t feel a budget crunch for another year and a half. Even so, that leaves only two elections before the parcel tax is eliminated. The district is currently meeting with election consultants to determine what went wrong and when to put Measure G on the ballot again. 



"At the end of [2011] if we don’t have continuing funds or new funds, it’s going to be a very different picture, because we won’t have a backup," Principal April Scott said. "This year we had a backup because the funds were still there."



The uncertainty stretches to next year’s budget. Though there will be no teacher layoffs, the district is still discussing program cuts. However, department costs are relatively small compared to personnel costs.



Bove’s statement seems to indicate that for next year, at least, MVHS is financially secure.  



"It was a huge positive statement for her to say no cuts," Scott said. "Our new teachers especially were hugging each other, celebrating."