Anaheim : School Officials to Discuss Budget Cuts

Anaheim City School District administrators will discuss hiring fewer bilingual teachers, eliminating classes and reducing the number of bus drivers because of proposed state budget cuts, officials said.

About $2.5 million will have to be slashed from the district’s $53-million annual budget for the 21-school district, officials predicted, if the governor’s budget proposals are enacted.

“It’s painful,” Supt. Meliton Lopez said. “Doom and gloom. We’ll be trying to cut as far away from the classroom as possible.”

Lopez says it is difficult to say which classroom programs or personnel positions will eventually be lost, but district officials will be discussing all options from now until the budget goes into effect in July.

He said he doubts that teacher layoffs will be considered.

“From now on, it’s going to be a continuous-type of budget meeting,” Lopez said.

Administrators, such as program coordinators and assistant principals, have already been informed that they will be receiving a letter on March 1 telling them that they may be reassigned to teaching positions under the new budget.

Such reassignments save the district money, but they also reduce the district’s ability to hire new teachers, especially much-needed bilingual educators, Lopez said.

With enrollment increasing, the district will continue to receive extra funds for the added students, officials said. But such funding may be offset by the need for more portable classrooms and supplies in order to serve a larger student population, officials said.

The budget will be discussed at Tuesday’s school board meeting.