Lina,

I need a draft memo on the cutback plan that I can share confidentially before finalizing my proposal to the Superintendent.

According to Jerome, someone alerted members of the PTA Spanish Language Subcommittee that their program i targeted. In contrast, IP Subcommittee members are angry that the special ed

program may have layoffs. The Superintendent apparently thinks that we should increase our student/teacher ratio closer to 20, which somehow got back to the union rep, and she's been

on the phone with dire warnings about a teacher strike. I need financials before the PTA meeting next Friday. Can you please put together a memo-clear draft watermark and addressed

only to me--that lays out the scenarios we brainstormed yesterday? To be clear we are on the same page, please compare: (1) elimination of Spanish language program (no point messing

around-either we commit or we don't); (2) 19.8 student/teacher ratio in mainstream program; (3) across the board 12% cut; (4) the targeted approach we discussed yesterday. You can

also let me know which you think is the best way to maintain educational continuity and quality while making the required reductions.

Can you please put together a memo -clear draft watermark and addressed only to me -that lays out the three scenarios we brainstormed yesterday? To be clear we are on the same page,

please compare: (1) elimination of Spanish language program (no point messing around-elther we commit or we don't); (2) 19.8 student/teacher ratio in mainstream program; and (3) the

targeted reductions that we discussed yesterday.

On the last, I've confirmed that Mr. Heckey, Ms. Neff, and Ms. Huffman will retire next year. Let's see what happens if we hold those lines open and also take seven furlough days spread

throughout the school year. We'll close the school, so we can get savings from admin and 0&M as well as instruction. I think the Spanish program will have to self-fund their own travel or

cancel the trip. And I do think we have to cut instructional and library supplies. Let's try a 15 percent cut there, and l'll show good will by absorbing 30 percent in admin supplies. We can do a

lot with O&M, namely put off the new cafeteria kitchen. I know the PTA wants to get away from frozen district meals, but I think we could ask them to get involved in fundraising on that. We

had $85,000 budgeted for the kitchen; not sure we can cut elsewhere in 0&M other than the reduction we get rom the furlough. Can you model these four options and let me know how

close we can get to the 12 percent? Also, would appreciate your thoughts on instructional and other stakeholder impacts. I did get clarification on indirect cost allocation from the District.

They'll track our reductions in health and OR but they are going to treat the rest of the indirects as fixed, so a mixed bag there. Need memo by Tuesday so I can have some conversations

before the Friday board meeting, thanks!

Hilda"

What is the right thing to do?!