Board accepts supt.’s cuts

The Huntington Beach Union High School District may cut up to $13.3 million for the upcoming school year, after the board of trustees accepted another round of budget trims last week.

The board accepted nearly all of Supt. Van W. Riley’s proposals for a new round of $4.3 million in budget savings to add to the $9 million already under consideration for the 2009-10 fiscal year. Riley brought his plan to the board after the state, facing a budget crisis, cut $4.3 million from the district after voters rejected a number of emergency funding measures in the May special election. The plan will, among other things, scale back textbook funding and implement an energy savings plan, without further reductions to classified staff and teaching positions. There will, however, be fewer support staff such as instructional aids and psychologists, Riley said.

The district is using funding for summer school, which comes from the categorical fund, for other purposes just to stay afloat this fiscal year. Regular summer courses will not be offered at most schools this summer like they have been in the past.

Those attending Westminster High School and Ocean View High School can take part in a federally funded “extended summer program” at their own schools to make up credits, Riley said. Students at the other four schools and continuation school can make up credits through adult education classes in a program called concurrent enrollment at Parkview Elementary School. Seniors and juniors will have priority.

“All students have access to some kind of summer program if they need to make up credits for graduation,” Riley said.

Lisa Simpson, a U.S. history and government and economics teacher at Valley Vista High School, was especially worried about younger students’ success.

“It could put many of our students at a risk from actually graduating, because they just run out of time to earn the additional credits,” she said.

There will also be fewer opportunities for “advancement or enrichment,” Riley said.

Community-based classes will be open to students, but charge fees.

The district has “tried to keep our cuts away from the classroom as much as possible,” but classes will be full, Riley said.

Although Cori Brooks, who teaches food and child development classes at Fountain Valley High School, said she felt “pretty positive” about the district’s handling of the budget, she’s still leery about the future.

“It still feels very up in the air,” she said. “I guess it’s the feeling that we’re doing the best we can and we’re all in this together.”

Jim McElroy, whose son Matt is a junior at Edison High School, cited maintaining strong academics and retaining quality teachers as his main concerns in the face of budget cuts. McElroy had an idea as to why athletics are staying.

“The parents have to pay for everything, from uniforms to busing the kids,” he said. “Sports aren’t really affected.”

These additional cuts would come right after the board was forced to cut $5.3 million for the current year in February, she added. The district has reduced expenditures by $24.1 million over just the past 13 months, compared to reductions totaling $30 million over the past 13 years.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Bonnie Castrey, the board’s president. “It’s going to be very tough and very tight.”

These new measures will become effective July 1.