Gherardi said they understand the cost of unification to be about $50,000, “which is less than the money that the elementary school district has spent this year on consultants and lawyers to discuss the issue of unification itself. It’s just a pittance in terms of the budget. It’s for things like stationary. Anybody who can add knows that if you take away the cost of one board, one office, one superintendent you will be saving money and it is not a small amount of money.”
One audience question asked about how existing debt would be handled. Gherardi said she understands that any debt, such as bond issues, would stay within the boundaries of each of the old districts. Briggs, Mupu and Santa Clara districts would not have to pay for current elementary district debts.
Cadman questioned the claim that administrative costs would be reduced. “If we do away with one superintendent that opens one office space,” he said. “But their district office is full, our district office is full, and all unified districts I’ve worked with have more directors: one for elementary, one for high school. Educational research shows that in most districts that have unified in the last 20 years in California they have actually increased the number of administrators. Less than four percent saved up to $4,000 while others spent more than 12 percent to increases in their administrative costs when they unified.”
Another audience question asked if the new board could level-down salaries in response to state budget cuts.
Gherardi said no, it’s a level up process. “No teacher or classified person will be paid less than they are currently being paid,” she said. She said she’s learned the high school teachers are paid less than the elementary teachers. “Part of unification will level out the salaries so that you’re basically paying people the same salary for the same job.... Similarly, the classified people at the high school are paid more than the classified people at the elementary district.”
Cadman noted, “This all has to be negotiated with the unions and the fact that the classified staffs are on a merit system in our district and not in theirs will be a big issue. That also takes it out of the hands of the school board. The other part I worry about is no teachers are going to lose their jobs. They actually could because of all the costs of unification and lack of money.”
In closing remarks Cadman said he doesn’t believe the district will get more money. “It’s going to be less money for students in the classroom,” he said. “Catch phrases are nice but there is reality.”
Perez added, “There’s a time and a place for everything, and I firmly believe the time for unification is not now.”
Gherardi closed her remarks by noting Santa Paula is a small town and she believes it is time for a change. “We do not need to have two separate school districts, two separate superintendents, separate administrative staffs in a town that is this small. Anybody who can add has to understand that we’ll be saving money by eliminating some of this duplication, and that money can go back into education.”
