School district talks layoffs

Coral Wilson

The budget crisis hit home for school employees in the Huntington

Beach City School District last week when Supt. Gary Rutherford

released his initial budget cut recommendations, which included

layoffs.

In preparation for the possible $3-million cut in the district’s

2003-04 budget, Rutherford’s list of money-saving cuts included

reducing class size -- which at all four grade levels, kindergarten

through third-grade, could mean laying off as many as 52 teachers.

Also on his list was a 5% to 10% reduction of certificated and

classified management and classified employees, which are positions

such as custodial services and office help.

A total of $367,500 to $735,000 needs to be trimmed from this

area, Rutherford said. Staff is looking to see where hours can be

trimmed and services reduced, but it could mean a loss of jobs.

“We are in a terrible position,” Rutherford said. “We are having

to implement some devastating cuts to charter a course during the

state budget crisis.”

Emphasizing that modifications will be discussed during a board

meeting on Feb. 18, he said the district is open to public input.

While deep cuts into programs and services will be inevitable, not

all of the proposed cuts will be made, he said.

“We are moving forward, preparing for the worst and hoping for the

best,” he said.

Students will also be affected. Rutherford said the classrooms’

student-to-teacher ratio might go from 20 to 1 to 30 to 1.

When making these reductions, student health, safety and the

instructional setting will be considered, Rutherford added.

Dareen Yonts, principal of John R. Peterson Elementary School,

said her staff is very concerned.

“We feel as if we are already down to our bare bones, and if they

make the cuts as proposed, we wonder where in the world we are going

to be able to get the resources to do the job we need to do,” Yonts

said.

Teachers are awaiting final board decisions before they get too

worried, she said.

Rutherford has been visiting schools, making himself available to

explain his decision process. He said it might be easy for teachers

to conclude that the district does not care about them, but he hopes

to deliver a different message.

“We value our people greatly and we are deeply resentful, our

trustees and I am, that we are having to consider these kinds of

actions in light of the state budget crisis,” He said. “But in the

interests of being good stewards of funding, there are few places to

go to weather this storm.”

The city school district is not alone in having to face difficult

decisions.

Patricia Koch, assistant superintendent of business services for

the Huntington Beach Union High School District, said their timeline

for final decisions is April 22.

“There will be a lot of activity before now and then,” she said.

After a series of difficult cuts and layoffs last spring, the

district will be re-examining everything closely for the next series

of cuts, she said.

Ocean View School District Trustee Tracy Pellman said the

elementary school district is awaiting final direction from the state

and is still in negotiations with the teacher’s union. These two

issues will shape the district’s budget decisions, Pellman said.

Public input is welcome at the Huntington Beach City School

District meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at the District

Education Center, 20451 Craimer Lane.

* CORAL WILSON is a news assistant who covers education. She can

be reached at (714) 965-7177 or by e-mail at

coral.wilson@latimes.com.