Q: What will the funds raised by the $365 Campaign be used for?
A: We will have more information on the specific use of the funds once the District identifies the final combination of budget cuts it intends to make. These choices are being selected from a list of broad categories including: increased class size, reduction or elimination of non-mandated programs, no new textbook adoptions, reduction of personnel.
No funds will be used for capital improvements, physical operations or administrative salaries. Funding decisions will be based on the actual budget cuts made by the CUSD and community feedback. We will ensure that 100% of your donation is injected directly into the schools where it will make the most difference for all of our students.
Unrestricted donations allow the greatest freedom to use the funds flexibly, equitably and in a way that will benefit the most students. Moreover, unrestricted gifts are in keeping with the spirit of this campaign, which is to create strong, lasting, community-wide support for all Claremont public schools.
Q: Can CEF fund teacher’s salaries?
A: Yes, funds from CEF's $365 Campaign can go towards teacher's salaries to maintain a particular class size, for example, but CEF cannot designate which teachers are retaine. The hiring and placement of teachers is the responsibility of the District. Whether any funds raised will go towards teacher’s salaries will depend on the final combination of budget cuts, the amount raised, and community feedback. See also the response to 1 above.
Q: Are you only accepting donations of $365? How do I get a yard sign?
A: While the $365 Campaign yard sign is only delivered with a donation of $365 or more, donations of any size are welcome and will make a difference. CEF realizes that many families are experiencing increased financial pressure due to the poor economy and it is in part for this reason that the $365 Campaign was developed. Hopefully it is easier for families and individuals to budget a $30 payment per month versus a much larger single donation of $365. For those persons who cannot contribute at this level, please give what you can; every gift counts. If you can give more, please invest in all our children’s future and our community through a larger donation.
Q: What is the exact dollar amount of funding that must be cut from the District’s budget? A: Because of the inability of the state to meet its own budget deadlines, we don’t know the exact amount. Currently, over the next two years (2010-2011 and 2011-2012), the reduction in state funding will be approximately $6-$7 million.
Q: What is the relationship between CEF’s $365Campaign and the CUSD?
A: The $365 Campaign has been organized by the Claremont Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting and enhancing public education in Claremont which is independent of the CUSD. While clear communication between CUSD and CEF’s $365 Campaign is essential, each is an independent entity and each will make its own decisions.
Q: What is the relationship of the $365Campaign to PFAs and Booster Clubs? A: The $365 Campaign is a substantial effort to help maintain funding for programs and services at all schools in the District. The $365 Campaign is meant to augment and complement the work of the school site PFAs and Booster Clubs, which are focused on specific programs and services at single school sites. The $365 Campaign urges parents to continue supporting the very important fund-raising efforts of their local PFAs and Booster Clubs. The experience, knowledge, and contacts of the local PFAs are needed to make the $365 Campaign successful and we intend to work in cooperation with them. You can visit the CEF website to download a flyer explaining the relationship between CEF, PFAs and Booster groups.
Q: Can the School Board decide how to use the funds raised by the $365 Campaign? A:Donations to the $365 Campaign will be made available to the District, subject to the condition that the funds must be used for the specific purposes designated by CEF. $365 Campaign funds will not be available for unspecified or general use by the District. If the District accepts the $365 Campaign funds, it will be obligated to use them for the programs and services designated by CEF or the funds must be returned to CEF.
Q: How are Claremont schools funded?
A: The state gives CUSD a designated amount for each student, which is multiplied by the average daily attendance (ADA) in the District (called “Revenue Limit Funds”). It also provides additional categorical funds which are designated for specific purposes. For the current academic year, approximately $4,900 is received per student ADA.
Q: $500,000 isn’t going to make much difference, is it, with an annual deficit of approximately $3.5 million?
A: It’s true that raising $500,000 won’t solve all of the District’s financial problems, but it will provide a good start, which, along with more belt tightening and flexibility in the use of categorical funds, may keep the bulk of District programs and services intact until state tax revenues recover.
Q: What about all the students and talent at the Claremont Colleges and in the community? Can’t we solve this problem by working together?
A: Students from the Claremont Colleges, Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and other local schools (e.g., University of La Verne) often come to CUSD schools to assist with tutoring, to volunteer in classrooms, and to read to students. The small enrollments of the Claremont Colleges as well as the fact there is no undergraduate major in education, make it extremely challenging to rely on the Colleges and their students to maintain the focused instruction and programs we value. A volunteer with ties to the Colleges is looking into strengthening and expanding the relationship between students at the Claremont Colleges and the CGU School of Education.
Q: Would a parcel tax solve the funding crisis?
A: A parcel tax could be one way to address the structural budget deficit that CUSD faces. The School Board is utilizing a consultant to determine the level of support for a parcel tax as well as a bond through a survey distributed to the community in the next month or so. Even if 2/3rds of voters approved a parcel tax, it is not likely to be implemented in time to affect the 2010-2011 District budgets.
Q: Would a facilities bond solve the funding crisis?
A: Proceeds of a facilities bond generally fund capital improvements and cannot directly be used for the general operation of the District.
Q: During the SOS (Save Our Schools) campaign in 2004, we were told that the money raised was desperately needed but, in the end, it wasn’t all used because some funding was restored by the state. Why is this budget crisis any different?
A: First, we have already experienced the cuts which the SOS campaign was designed to prevent, principally in the form of increased class size, teacher layoffs and staff layoffs. There are no proctors at El Roble to help provide a safe and orderly educational environment, and only half as many at Claremont High School. K-3 classrooms have 24 instead of 20 students and CHS freshman English and math classes have 30 instead of 20 students. We are not dealing with mere threatened cuts; rather we have already suffered cuts and are in the midst of defending against more and deeper cuts. Moreover, while SOS raised more money than was required to restore the programs it sought to protect, $400,000 was gifted to the District to maintain Class Size Reduction (K-3) and keep all other class sizes from increasing. SOS funds were also used to retain elementary library/media staff as well as to support extracurricular activities at CHS.
Second, the state of the economy in California is worse than it was at the time of the SOS campaign, which was largely the result of a dysfunction in the budgeting process. While we certainly still experience that budget dysfunction, we also have vastly reduced revenues. School funding will not recover until tax revenues rebound.
Q: What happened to all of the money raised in the SOS campaign of 2004?
A: CEF has $95,000 in remaining SOS monies. Some money raised during the SOS campaign has been gifted in previous years to maintain continuity in funding (minimum of $100,000 gifted to the District each school year since 2004-05) for enrichment programs (ensuring art and music at every elementary school, technology at the intermediate and high school levels). Depending on the amount raised by the $365Campaign and the final budget cuts, it is possible that CEF might grant some or all of these remaining SOS funds to the District.
Q: What is the Claremont Educational Foundation’s long-term strategy for helping the students of Claremont public schools? A: Quality public education in California currently relies on private support. In order to help bridge the gap between the monies the state provides and the actual cost of providing a high quality and rich educational experience, we will need to continue to raise funds. California currently has over 600 private education foundations which raise more than $200 million/year. Most of the best school districts in California consistently supplement their school districts’ budgets through private fundraising efforts.
Q: Has anyone carefully reviewed the District’s financial books and records? A: The responsibility for overseeing the financial management of the District lies with the School Board. The School Board has an independent auditor who regularly audits the District’s financial records. The last audit occurred in January 2010 and is available from the District.
Q: Why not sell the old District office space at Mountain and Baseline to raise money? A: The District is working to lease that site to receive an additional regular stream of revenue. Sale of the space may also be considered depending on the ease or difficulty with which the space can be leased.
Q: What about selling the land on which the old La Puerta School (Forbes Avenue) sits? A: The size of this piece of land and the associated school make it potentially useful to Claremont students in the future. CUSD is one of the school districts in the state that is experiencing an increase in enrollment. There are few, if any, undeveloped parcels which could be used for new schools.
Q: Does the District qualify for federal Race to the Top funds? A: California was not selected as part of Phase I of the Race to the Top Competition. Phase 2 applications are due June 1, 2010.
Q: Where did the lottery money go? A: The District receives approximately $125 per student from the California lottery and some of this funding is for restricted uses such as materials. At the time the lottery was started, the lottery funds were intended to supplement the Revenue Limit. However, over time, the state has taken Revenue Limit Funds away and replaced them with lottery dollars. In other words, the money that the District receives from the lottery is part of the Revenue Limit Funds and no longer supplements the District’s allocation from the state.
