For now, the district will be able to draw funding from one-time sources through the end of the year. This money serves as a reserve and in part came from the Jobs Money Bill, which was passed in 2010. Is it smart for FUHSD to draw out money from this source? Indeed, because if the money is not used by the end of the year it disappears.

The money will help our schools in the immediate future by preventing layoffs and program cuts, but it leaves us with less money to work with for years to come. If we receive more money from the Federal Government in the near future we would not need to feel as worried about using all the one-time dollars now. However, it remains to be seen if we will actually receive more money soon. Therefore, it is difficult for anyone to predict what lays ahead for our educational programs.

It is not as if we are given much choice in the matter of our unstable future. The one-time dollars need to be spent now or they are lost, and we can only hope that we are granted more one-time dollars for next year.

The state has already cut $9.8 million from our district’s budget, and FUHSD staff members have voted to cut their yearly salary surplus checks by 50 percent in order to put the other half in a fund to prevent teacher layoffs for the coming school year. We could learn a great deal from the sacrifice teachers made this year. Because our money supply is slowly running dry, we all need to think of innovative solutions such as this to preserve every cent possible, while still holding onto teachers and programs. This way we can prevent major cuts to programs, and still leave a layer of security for next year’s budget.

No one likes when a class is packed, or a program cut, but these are situations we might have to face if we do not think of ideas to save FUHSD money. Right now we need to prioritize how and when to spend our dwindling reserves, and make sure to leave some money in savings for the sake of years ahead.