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Schools

Moraga Schools Superintendent Details Site-Specific Cuts; Urges Community Support

Bruce Burns provided families with cutback information.

Families in the Moraga school district received a letter from Superintendent Bruce Burns on Tuesday detailing site-specific cuts to local schools. The letter lets parents know of cuts that are planned for next year as well as which staff members have received pink slips.

The letter was sent out in light of the June 30 deadline for school districts to submit a balanced budget. Burns wrote, “Many of you have already given generously to both your PTA and to MEF (Moraga Education Foundation), but as we approach the June 30 deadline for submitting our district budget for 2011/2012, it is apparent that we need to raise more money from local funding sources to make up for the drop in state funding.” 

Program cuts scheduled for next school year include:

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Camino Pablo Elementary

  • Library: Open only 2 1/2 days per week. Liz Laucher has received a pink slip.
  • Physical education: P.E. will still be taught, but by classroom teachers, not certificated staff. Amber Peterson has received a pink slip.
  • Behavior specialist program (Kid’s Connection) eliminated. Annette Herbert has received a pink slip.

Los Perales Elementary

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  • Library: Open only 2 1/2 days per week.
  • Physical education: P.E. will still be taught, but by classroom teachers, not certificated staff. Heather Thornton has received a pink slip.
  • Behavior specialist program (Kid’s Connection) eliminated. Annette Herbert has received a pink slip.

Rheem Elementary

  • Library: Open only 2 1/2 days per week. Allyn Carl has received a pink slip.
  • Physical education: P.E. will still be taught, but by classroom teachers, not certificated staff. Heather Thornton has received a pink slip.
  • Behavior specialist program (Kid’s Connection) eliminated. Annette Herbert has received a pink slip

Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School

  • Library: Open only 2 1/2 days per week.
  • Student support position eliminated. Annette Herbert has received a pink slip.
  • Textbook coordinator reduced by half. Alberta Falcone has received a pink slip.

Burns closed the letter with this grim thought: “Unfortunately, we are anticipating that our state funding will be 12.86 percent lower than last year (20.68 percent less than 2007/2008).” He is requesting community support of MEF's May fundraising campaign to potentially reverse program cuts planned for next year.

Burns is realistic, stating that while MEF doesn’t “anticipate raising enough to fully make up for the anticipated $650-per-student decrease in state funding…every additional dollar donated to MEF will have an impact.”

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