Negotiations Continue, but CUSD Must Pass Budget Anyway

Originally posted 11 a.m June 25, 2013.

UPDATED: At 11:26 a.m. to include information from the Orange County Department of Education.

Contract negotiations with teachers in the Capistrano Unified School District will continue into July, but the school board is scheduled to pass a budget anyway, according to a district spokesman.

“On Wednesday night, the board will consider a budget that assumes concessions from the district’s employees,” said Marcus Walton, chief communications officer for CUSD.

By law, school districts have to pass a budget by June 30 and then send them on to the county offices of education for approval. Walton said the Orange County Department of Education will sign off on Capo’s “conditional budget” and wait for a revised budget.

The final budget, to be penned after negotiations with the various employee groups – the largest of which are teachers – have concluded, is scheduled to come before the trustees on July 24, Walton said.

Wendy Benkert, assistant superintendent of business services for Orange County Department of Education, said there's no guarantee Capo will get a conditional approval on its budget.

"We do this rarely," she said. "It's not one size fits all. It depends on the individual circumstances of each district."

Benkert added that she hasn't seen enough information from Capistrano Unified to be able to make the determination that a conditional approval is warranted. 

On Wednesday, CUSD's board will take a look at the budget so far. It shows $350 million in revenues, with $355 million in expenses, according to a staff report. A reserve of $7.3 million is above the required-by-law 2 percent threshold.

The budget assumes employees will get their regular raises for years served and that benefit costs will go up, according to a staff report. 

The board meets at 7 p.m. at the district headquarters, 33122 Valle Road in San Juan Capistrano.