Support Long Beach school, library budgets, Tangney and Guma for school board

School districts across the state faced tough choices this year as they drafted their 2012-13 budgets. With a state-mandated tax levy cap of 2 percent and a slew of federal and state-mandated cost increases, the challenge was obvious for school administrators aiming to create spending plans that maintain educational programs while holding the line on taxes.

While Long Beach’s $122.1 million budget comes with a 3.74 percent tax levy increase, that is the only part of the budget that has increased, with the intention of helping to reduce the principal on a $98 million bond, approved by voters in 2009, to fund the district’s school preservation plan.

There is an exemption in the tax-cap law for capital projects such as the preservation plan. After factoring into the budget a yearly $3.5 million payment to fund the plan, school officials determined that the allowable tax levy cap is actually 5.2 percent, well above what they have budgeted for. An additional $183,000 in state aid helped officials reduce the proposed tax levy increase from 3.9 to 3.74 percent.

For the second consecutive year, the spending plan does not increase operating costs, maintains programs and keeps class sizes relatively stable. School officials eliminated $2.3 million in spending through a number of staff reductions based on multi-year enrollment trends, cuts in supplies and the consolidation of administrative positions, among other efforts.

Though we have concerns about the consolidation of guidance and special-education administrative positions, overall, this budget takes a step in the right direction, trimming “top-heavy” administrative costs.