{"id":44797,"date":"2013-10-24T14:43:15","date_gmt":"2013-10-24T21:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=44797"},"modified":"2013-10-25T11:28:54","modified_gmt":"2013-10-25T18:28:54","slug":"unions-former-superintendent-claim-budget-mismanagement-in-palmdale-school-district","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/10\/24\/unions-former-superintendent-claim-budget-mismanagement-in-palmdale-school-district\/","title":{"rendered":"Unions, former superintendent claim budget mismanagement in Palmdale School District"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CfvLGQUiwG8?rel=0&amp;start=815&amp;end=2115&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0&amp;playlist=CfvLGQUiwG8\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>PALMDALE \u2013 Palmdale School District officials grossly misstated the district&#8217;s financial status and used an artificial multimillion dollar deficit to force salary cuts, furlough days, and benefits caps on its teachers and classified employees, according to claims made by Nancy Smith, a former district superintendent now running for Palmdale School Board in the Nov. 5 election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey told the teachers they were over $15 million in deficit in February, and then by September they were 15 and a half million to the good\u2026 it was a $31 million turnaround and that should never have happened,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44804\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44804\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-44804 \" alt=\"Speaking at a packed community forum Wednesday, Smith said PSD officials misrepresented the budget to their advantage.\" src=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-1-300x178.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-1-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-1.jpg 672w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44804\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Speaking at a packed community forum Wednesday, Smith said PSD officials misrepresented the budget to their advantage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smith made the claims as featured speaker at a standing room only community forum at the Palmdale Hotel Wednesday evening. Hosted by the Palmdale Elementary Teachers Association and California School Employees Association Local Chapter 296, the forum was billed as a budget review to \u201cdebunk current school district financial claims and demonstrate recent cuts unilaterally imposed on staff are unjust and unnecessary,\u201d according to a joint press release by PETA and CSEA.<\/p>\n<p>During her 20-minute presentation, Smith sourced several of the District\u2019s own documents as proof that the District had dramatically overestimated expenditures while underestimating revenue to bolster claims of insufficiency. <em>(View video of Smith\u2019s presentation above [recorded by Palmdale teacher Calvin Robinson]. View specific talking points of Smith\u2019s budget <a href=\"http:\/\/avpeta.org\/uploads\/2\/9\/3\/4\/2934232\/joint_budget_budget_presentation.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">presentation here<\/a>, and supporting documentation at the PETA <a href=\"http:\/\/avpeta.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">website here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>According to Smith\u2019s presentation, during the past fiscal year alone, District officials overestimated the budget by millions of dollars in several areas, including certificated and classified salaries, fringe benefits, and books and supplies. This ultimately resulted in a false estimated deficit that fluctuated from $13 million in January, up to $15 million in February, and then down to $7.7 million in March, Smith claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Operating under such a scenario, the District imposed salary cuts, furlough days and a cap in benefits for teachers and classified employees. However, by September, the District\u2019s Final Unaudited Actuals were a positive $15,513,061, Smith claimed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44805\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44805\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-44805\" alt=\"A conservative estimate shows PSD over budgeted by more than $15.5 million, Smith claimed.\" src=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-2-300x213.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-2-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-2.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44805\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A conservative estimate shows PSD over budgeted by more than $15.5 million, Smith claimed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no reasonable explanation for what happened,\u201d Smith said. As she detailed the numbers, several audible gasps could be heard from the audience. After the meeting, many teachers expressed shock and outrage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople go to jail for stealing from Walmart, surely for stealing from the kids and the teachers in the school district somebody has to be held responsible,\u201d said Mesquite Elementary teacher Annette Harris.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t comb through your own budget, but you can deny me some 99-cent finger grips to protect my fingers? That is shameful!\u201d said Barrel Springs Elementary teacher Romona Harvey, adding that she would like to see health benefits restored for teachers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44806\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44806\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-44806\" alt=\"The audience stood up and applauded at the end of the budget presentation.\" src=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-3-300x216.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-3-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-Budget-review-3.jpg 384w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44806\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The audience stood up and applauded at the end of the budget presentation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most troubling was the fact that the classified union\u2019s bargaining team had been trying to tell the District that the money was there all along, said Astrid Cante, a bilingual administrator for early childhood education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey went into the District saying that they knew there was money there, but the District kept showing numbers that there wasn\u2019t any money there,\u201d Cante said, adding that she and nearly 500 classified employees were threatened with layoffs in May.\u00a0 \u201cWe thought \u2018it\u2019s better to get cut than to get laid off,\u2019 so they forced our members to accept a tentative agreement that was not necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PETA president Hugo Estrada said that teachers would like to see more transparency from the school board going forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019d like to see a board that actually questions the numbers, and that bargains with us fairly,\u201d Estrada said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying not to put blame, what we\u2019re trying to do is get answers. Where is this money? Why is this the approach you\u2019re using? Why can\u2019t we bargain fairly?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Palmdale School District Interim Superintendent Pauline Winbush attended the forum Wednesday evening, but said she could not comment on the numbers just yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is all new information that they\u2019re presenting, so I don\u2019t want to respond until I\u2019ve had an opportunity to really look at the information,\u201d Winbush said.<\/p>\n<p>In a press release issued earlier that day, Winbush announced the District would be restoring 11.2% of the salary reductions for the 2014-2015 school year.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe are able to make the restoration by utilizing a combination of the unrestricted ending fund balance (including the 1% &#8220;board reserve&#8221; as noted on the Unaudited Actuals), Excess Costs reimbursements received from neighboring districts in 2013 &#8211; 2014 and the sale of Pueblo Learning Center\u2026 We will continue to monitor &#8220;new, unrestricted&#8221; money that the district receives and apply it to the contingency language until we are able to restore the final 1% salary reduction and 9 furlough days for the 2014-2015 school year,\u201d Winbush stated in the press release.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Palmdale School Board President Sandy Corrales also said she planned to respond to the budget claims. We will update this story with her response as soon as it is available.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">UPDATED at 5 p.m., Oct. 24<\/span>: Palmdale School District officials have responded to the allegations. Read the entire response at:\u00a0<a title=\"PSD responds to allegations of budget mismanagement\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/10\/24\/palmdale-school-district-responds-to-allegations-of-budget-mismanagement\/\" target=\"_blank\">PSD responds to allegations of budget mismanagement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>View a point-by-point response from the school district on all of Smith&#8217;s allegations\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/PSD-point-by-point-response.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Previous related stories:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Palmdale School District restores salary reductions, furlough days\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/08\/15\/palmdale-school-district-restores-salary-reductions-furlough-days\/\" target=\"_blank\">Palmdale School District restores salary reductions, furlough days<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Palmdale teachers to unite at TNOTS, urge public to pressure school board\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/07\/17\/palmdale-teachers-to-unite-at-tnots-urge-public-to-pressure-school-board\/\" target=\"_blank\">Palmdale teachers to unite at TNOTS, urge public to pressure school board<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Palmdale School District, teachers remain at odds\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/07\/15\/palmdale-school-district-teachers-remain-at-odds\/\" target=\"_blank\">Palmdale School District, teachers remain at odds<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"UPDATED: Factfinder backs furlough days for Palmdale teachers, PETA responds\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/07\/08\/factfinder-backs-furlough-days-salary-reductions-for-palmdale-teachers\/\" target=\"_blank\">Factfinder backs furlough days for Palmdale teachers, PETA responds<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Classified staff and PSD reach tentative agreement\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/06\/14\/classified-staff-and-palmdale-school-district-reach-tentative-agreement\/\" target=\"_blank\">Classified staff and PSD reach tentative agreement<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Palmdale teachers, parents stage protest\" href=\"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/05\/22\/palmdale-teachers-parents-stage-protest\/\">Palmdale teachers, parents stage protest<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PALMDALE \u2013 Palmdale School District officials grossly misstated the district&#8217;s financial status and used an artificial multimillion dollar deficit to force salary cuts, furlough days, and benefits caps on its teachers and classified employees, according to claims made by Nancy Smith, a former district superintendent now running for Palmdale School Board in the Nov. 5 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":44804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29,11,23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44797"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}