Budget Deal Would Aid Class-Size Cuts

The new state budget accord would channel a record $32 billion into education in the next year, helping Orange County school districts move forward with programs that include expansion of the costly class-size reduction program.

Under the agreement reached last week by Gov. Pete Wilson and top lawmakers, which awaits approval by the full Legislature, about $1.5 billion would be allocated to the small-class initiative in its second year.

As expected, the package would raise state funding for the popular program to about $800 per student, up from $650 the previous year. The money would fund teacher salaries, enabling schools to cap classes from kindergarten through third grade at no more than 20 students apiece.

“Now we can continue to proceed with our plans,” Capistrano Unified Supt. James A. Fleming said. The district, which cut class size last year in first and second grades, will move the program into kindergarten and portions of third grade in the coming year.

Similar efforts are in the works in several districts, including Irvine Unified, Newport-Mesa Unified and Ocean View Elementary in Huntington Beach.

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One new fold in this year’s class-size program: certain overcrowded districts will get more money for new classrooms. That is aimed at helping urban districts such as Santa Ana Unified and Anaheim City Elementary.

“We’re trying to give districts flexibility, so they can at least try to expand their class-size reduction programs before we can get a state bond initiative on the ballot by 1998,” said Dan Edwards, Wilson’s education spokesman.

Edwards said the state also is trying to pass legislation to help the districts buy land.

In Santa Ana Unified, many schools have little or no room for more portable classrooms. But district officials say they are unsure how much money they might get to build new campus space.

“We probably would qualify for that money,” Joe Tafoya, a Santa Ana deputy superintendent. “But acquiring property is a local decision. This is something we still need to study.”

On other budget issues, Orange County school administrators gave a mixed response to a plan to set aside $38 million for a mandatory student achievement test, in English, for students from second to 12th grade. In past years, tests have been optional.

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Wilson has said he supports using one standardized test so that officials can measure the effectiveness of smaller classes from one district to another.

California is one of only a few states that doesn’t have a statewide test.

But some educators argue that no single exam would be an accurate gauge of student performance in California classrooms.

At Capistrano Unified, officials have taken time and expense to develop their own test. Fleming said the district still hopes to persuade legislators to allow schools to choose from up to four tests.

He added that Capistrano might keep using its own test no matter what the state decides.

“With all the discussion going on, we’re anxiously awaiting to see what will happen,” Fleming said.