Laserfiche WebLink
and Budget Advisory group to identify options to best meet our student needs during this fiscal crisis. <br />Ultimately, we have a fiduciary responsibility and legal mandate to provide a balanced budget by June 30, <br />whether there is a finalized state budget or not. <br />In an effort to provide a balanced budget, which reflects reductions of millions of dollars, some employees and <br />groups will be impacted by notices of possible layoff and reductions. The layoff notices will affect all <br />employee groups; management, certificated, and classified. Everything beyond the scope of the basic or core <br />program will unfortunately need to be analyzed for consideration of elimination or reduction. For certificated <br />employees, our District has no alternative, but to follow the Education Code requirement and send an initial <br />notice of potential layoff by March I5. Since a resolution to the state budget crisis and the Governor's <br />proposal will not occur by this date; layoff notices will have to be issued. Layoff notices for classified <br />employees follow a different process; forty-five day notices may be issued later in the budget process. <br />This is definitely not something we want to do. We believe that each staff member is an extreme asset to our <br />students' lives and recognize the considerable significance each of you brings to our students and families. It is <br />the shared investment between staff and our students, which makes us a united district. Unfortunately, with <br />the impact of the Governor's proposal on our District, we have no alternatives but to do the most responsible <br />action of positioning ourselves to adopt a balanced budget by June 30. <br />Even though layoff notices are being issued, we wish to assure you that we will do everything we can to retain <br />as many programs and people as possible. For certificated employees, a final resolution of the possible layoff <br />notice must occur by May 15. Please be assured that after this date and throughout the summer, we will <br />continue to work to bring back people and programs as allowed by our budget situation. <br />During the months of February and March, our school Board will consider the depth of the necessary cuts and <br />the number of layoff notices that may be issued. Typically more notices are issued than will ultimately result <br />in layoffs, but we are obligated to notify by March 15 all certificated and management individuals who will <br />potentially face a layoff. <br />Our entire District regrets bringing this news to you, but feels it is important to inform you about the status of <br />the Governor's proposal and its impact. The Board and I invite all staff to offer suggestions as how to balance <br />our budget. Please let us know by calling Dr. Lowell Shira at (510) 317-4641 or sending him an email at <br />LshiraC~SLZUSD.ORG. <br />I appreciate Dr. John Casey, Superintendent of Pleasanton Unified School District and other Superintendents <br />of Alameda County, for their contributions to this letter. <br />Thank you, <br />Dr. Dennis D. Byas <br />Superintendent <br />DB:dlb <br />