Lodi Unified board talks budget, enrollment

LODI — The Lodi Unified School District board tackled a wide range of topics at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, from budget projections and the number of available classrooms to special education enrollment at district schools.

Budget and expenses

LUSD’s anticipated revenue for the 2017-2018 fiscal year is about $318.6 million, while its anticipated expenditures total about $310.4 million.

The main areas of projected expenditure include:

• 45 percent for certified personnel • 25 percent for employee benefits • 15 percent for classified personnel

• 10 percent for contracted services

Special education programs grow

Student enrollment into special education classes has increased 26 percent since 2014, with no noticeable change in general enrollment.

Part of this increase is due to existing students being place into special education classes as professionals are able to better identify students in need of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) than they were in the past.

Special education costs rose by $1.4 million during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, and are expected to rise by an additional $1 million during the 2017-2018 year.

The special education department reportedly receives $20 million a year from the general fund.

The rise in special education enrollment contributed to the overall enrollment increase, with enrollment for 2016-2017 reportedly matching that for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

Helping at-risk youth

The superintendent’s report featured a presentation by representative from the Discovery Challenge Academy in Lathrop.

The academy partners with the California National Guard and the San Joaquin County Office of Education to provide at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 18 with discipline and direction.

Liberty High School sent five students to the most recent session, more than any single school in the academy’s history.

All five students entered with GPAs in the 2.0 or lower range, and will soon complete the course with GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 4.0.

“Just nine days and a wake up, then they’re back in Lodi,” said Chief Reese of the cadets’ upcoming graduation.

Classroom shortage looming?

Lodi Education Association (LEA) President Michelle Orgon informed the board and audience that a team of teachers will process 30 IEPs in 20 days, as well as bringing attention to a logistics problem at some of Lodi’s high schools.

According to Orgon, multiple teachers will be forced to share classrooms during the 2017-2018 academic year, with

additional teachers being required to change classrooms multiple times per day.

Multiple board members expressed their own concerns over this, and said that they will look for solutions

to this problem.

LUSD Board Vice President George Neely called for a restructuring of the way in which the board receives its information, saying that the process needs to be structured and advertised and requesting

a new plan by the next academic year.

He also expressed his intention to experiment with a completely digital curriculum, citing the 2018-2019 academic year as his goal to begin the trial run.