School District Cuts to Affect All Areas

Parents of local high school athletes can expect to dig into their own pockets next fall for equipment and transportation costs.

Parents also are likely to be tapped for busing costs as the Irvine Unified School District struggles to cope with limited state funding. The school board made those and other decisions this week while approving next school year’s $90-million tentative spending plan.

Because state funding is expected to lag behind actual costs, the school board voted to cut about $3 million in programs and raise an extra $415,000 by charging fees for athletics, busing and rental of band instruments.

The cuts will mean fewer high school counselors, psychologists and school nurses. Fine arts instruction will be reduced for grades 1-3, and special, early-morning classes at the middle schools will be eliminated. Custodians will clean less often and classrooms will have $261,764 less in supplies.

The cuts “have the potential to affect every kid in school,” school board President Helen Cameron said.

Cameron said it is hoped that the school district will be able to restore some of the programs when state lawmakers approve a budget.

Earlier this year, the school board considered cutting some high school athletics, such as golf and tennis, but decided instead to charge fees to keep the programs going, according to Paul H. Reed, the district’s deputy superintendent in charge of finances.

Even with the cuts, the district will be tapping its reserve funds next year to make up for lost revenue from the state, Reed said. The district is setting aside less than $1 million to pay unexpected costs this year, much less than is considered financially wise, he noted.

The district’s budget year begins July 1 and ends next June.

As part of the spending plan, the district set aside money to give teachers a 6% cost-of-living raise, as required by their three-year contract, and to give other employees a 3% raise.

The budget cuts have resulted in the district sending its assistant principals back into the classroom part time to take over some teaching duties and required the district to name one of its district office staff members as principal at Turtle Rock School.