“At the heart of our work is a single, simple promise to our community: We will make every decision based on the best interests of our children. We will put children first.” –Jonathon Raymond

Under their watch, the SCUSD school board and their employee, Jonathon Raymond, spent $42 million on consultants for the 2010-2011 school year. This school year, 2011-2012, they have spent approximately $39 million on consultants. How can they afford to spend so much on consultants, if there is less funding available from the state every year?
Due to the ongoing state budget crisis, since 2010-2011 SCTA members have been giving back to the district $95 dollars per month per teacher to help the School Board and Jonathon Raymond balance their budget. This agreement was supported by teachers with the understanding that the money would be used for K-3 class size reduction. It reflected our professional knowledge that lower class sizes—especially in the early years—is one of the most important ways to support learning in all children. It also reflected what parents said in surveys and at community forums that they most wanted the District to preserve.
In 2011-2012 the district was facing a deficit again. The School Board and Jonathon Raymond added $2.34 million of new spending to their deficit. At the same time, they took our $95 monthly contributions, but increased—not decreased—class sizes in Grades 2 and 3. They also under-funded school sites by withholding federal Title 1 money and keeping it at the District office.
This year the SCUSD is facing a deficit of approximately $27.9 million. In the proposed budget due to be approved this week, the School Board and Jonathan Raymond will balance the budget by cutting services, by cutting all student extracurricular activities, and by laying off personnel. There is scarcely any mention of cutting consultants and contracts.
In the first community budget forum held this past week at Luther Burbank High School , Jonathan Raymond told the audience that 70% of consultant and contract spending is required by state and federal law and therefore non-discretionary. If that is indeed the case, that still leaves 30% of discretionary consultant contracts that should be addressed. The total consultant costs over the past two years amounted to approximately $81 million. That would make the discretionary portion—the contracts that the School Board and Jonathan Raymond have entered into by choice—about $24 million, an amount that is very near what Jonathan Raymond claims is the District’s deficit. Consultants do not trump smaller class sizes. Consultants do not trump librarians, counselors, nurses, music teachers, adult education teachers and K-12 teachers.
Here is a very small list of consultants out of the hundreds that the School Board and their employee, Jonathon Raymond, have determined will serve “the best interests of our children”:

What Can You DO?

Attend one of the remaining public budget forums conducted by Jonathan Raymond and the School Board. All begin at 6 pm:

  • Monday, January 30 – C.K. McClatchy High School (library
  • Tuesday, January 31 – Rosemont High School (big theater)
  • Monday, February 6 – John F. Kennedy High School (main auditorium)
  • Wednesday, February 8 – Hiram Johnson High School (small theater)

Bring your SCTA Budget Fact Sheet with you. Point out the sacrifices teachers have already made and continue to make. During the last budget crisis, teachers bailed out the district when, each teacher agreed to give back $95 per month to save the K-3 class size reduction. Ask what happened to the $95 and why we’re still seeing new discretionary contracts with outside consultants.