SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Meeting Slated on School-Cut Options

Faced with making $4.2 million in cuts in next year’s budget, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Monday to discuss options.

Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed $2 billion in cuts from the state education budget would probably force Capistrano Unified to reduce its $112-million budget, district administrators said.

Two of the administration’s proposals call for increasing the district’s average class sizes; they now range from 27 to 31 pupils from kindergarten through grade 12, which is two to three fewer pupils than the countywide average.

Under the first proposal, the size would be increased by two pupils, saving $3.3 million, the district said.

Also cut under the first proposal would be: seven school programs; fifth- and sixth-grade camp, which costs $450,000; management’s $15,000 annual retreat; a $98,000 contract with the County Department of Education to provide films, and a $46,000 academic contest. The district might also postpone its $200,000 contribution to the state retirement benefit plan.

The second proposal calls for raising the average class size by one, which would save $1.8 million. In addition to the cuts of the first proposal, 10 others would be made, including all field trips, K-3 music and remedial reading. And the district would increase the distance children need to live from their campus to be eligible to take a school bus.

A third administration proposal calls for no increase in average class sizes but calls for laying off 34 custodians and groundskeepers, eliminating proficiency testing, cutting junior high school intramural sports and reducing or canceling 40 other programs.

Trustee E.G. (Ted) Kopp has proposed a cost-cutting plan that would increase the average class size by about two pupils and make 17 other cuts, including laying off half of the district’s elementary and junior high school lunchtime playground supervisors, eliminating fifth- and sixth-grade camp and cutting the community relations department budget by 75%.