School Year Will Get Longer

It's a little early to count down to the end of the school year, but Watsonville-area students should put off their next summer vacations a few days.

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees approved restoring five instructional days Wednesday evening, part of a package that will spend the approximately $5.6 million the board set aside last spring in anticipation of possible state funding reductions.

The state cuts didn't come through—at least, not yet—so the school board decided how to spend that money.

On the top of the list was adding back in those classroom days that had been lost in prior budget cuts.

Also on the spending list is keeping library media techs, , and setting money aside for instructional materials. Lastly, some funds will be dedicated to support staff, including counselors, custodians and maintenance/grounds crews.

“I think this is a fair and a fairly comprehensive combination of budget restorations," Trustee Doug Keegan said.

had to be allocated, but Brett McFadden, the chief business officer for the school district, explained that the programs funded should be flexible, because the state budget outlook continues to be "anemic and extremely volatile."

Also, because of the low STAR test scores for some PVUSD students, which have put some schools in "Program Improvement" status, any extra spending from the school district should focus on bettering student performance, McFadden explained.

As a result, all of the programs district officials recommended funding have some tie to improving kids' learning experience.

“This all must be done in a manner that focuses on student achievement," McFadden said.

Board members also toyed with the idea of reducing class sizes, but because the extra funding could vanish mid-year—meaning anything added back in now could be cut again—and other reasons, they passed on altering class sizes for the time being.