On Thursday Sept. 4, 2024 the Berkeley Unified School District School Board approved the passing of a change to the budget plans and heard public comments about concerns about Longfellow Middle School’s sudden campus move and public transportation issues.
Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel took the time to acknowledge the shooting earlier that day at a high school in Winder, Georgia, where four people were killed. “We send them our love and our healing support. Every student, every staff member, and all families who enter schools are precious,” Morthel said.
The meeting kicked off with one parent by the name of Nurmala, who only shared her first name, sharing concerns about the lack of buses to transport students from their schools to after-school programs. “We weren’t told until 20 hours before school started, and it was virtually impossible to organize carpools and other means of transport to get our kids to these programs,” the parent said. Nurmala explained that she heard that some students got a spot on the bus after their parents lobbied the transportation office, while others were selected by their last names in alphabetical order. “We believe an equitable process should be employed and made transparent to all families,” she said.
After this, another parent, Shannon Burman, also voiced similar concerns and thoughts on how to proceed with this issue. She said her kid was also not able to take the bus and she was forced to carpool and had a meeting with other parents about hiring a permanent driver.
The next person to give a public comment was Elizabeth Becker, a mother of two kids, one at Longfellow Middle School and one at John Muir Elementary. Her statement addressed the problems with the current Longfellow dry rot situation. After it was discovered in Longfellow, making it an unsafe, the entire student body was moved to be taught at the Berkeley Adult School (BAS). In early 2021, BUSD announced it was planning on constructing an apartment building on the BAS campus that would be able to fit up to 110 living spaces for BUSD teachers and staff. The project will continue in 2025 despite Longfellow’s relocation there.
“What I don’t understand is why the district hasn’t made a good-faith attempt to address the impact on these vulnerable students. The BAS facility is run down. It’s scheduled for updates, including fire life safety, mechanical air ventilation, and old windows. I want to know how the teachers and the children are supposed to function with major construction less than 75 feet away,” Becker said. “I’d love you guys to put politics and ego aside and just think of the students first.”
The school board also discussed critical issues regarding the budget, including a seven million dollar reduction and anticipated two million dollars of cuts. Pauline Follansbee, the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, showed her presentation on the BUSDs 2023-24 Unaudited Actuals. The district met the three percent state-required reserve, but the Undesignated Ending Fund Balance of $1.7 million exceeds projections by three hundred thousand dollars. There were numerous unspent balances across programs, but these were all offset by the overspending in certified salaries and contributions to the Special Education Program. Executive Director of Special Education Shawn Mansager also attributed the overspending to aids and other resources being hired.
Superintendent Morthel concurred, saying BUSD had to reduce its budget in the last year, with more cuts planned. “We had to make some really hard decisions last year, and there are more ahead,” Morthel said.