District finalizes budget

The Huntington Beach City School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year balanced budget plan that will eliminate and reduce jobs, cut programs and increase class sizes.

The trustees voted to finalize the items that will be included in the budget, which will go to a final vote Tuesday, according to Jon Archibald, assistant superintendent of administrative services.

The plan was approved 4 to 0 by trustees Rosemary Saylor, Catherine McGough, Brian Rechsteiner and Celia Jaffe. Vice President Shirley Carey was absent. The plan will be up for approval Tuesday before being sent to the county for approval.

“I think, under the parameters they have given us, [the county] will accept it,” Archibald said.

The approved budget plan outlines an extensive list of cuts to combat a $21-million deficit the district would be facing over the next three years. The board also unanimously passed two resolutions to authorize the reduction or elimination of classified positions outlined in the plan.

During the meeting, Peterson Elementary School librarian Mary Hauser learned she will be losing her job after the resolutions passed. While she is expecting her pink slip in the next couple of weeks, Hauser said she hopes that when the state budget does pass, there will be some way to bring back the librarians. She said she doesn’t blame the trustees, but doesn’t agree with the cut.

“Maybe I don’t agree with a few of [the cuts],” Hauser said. “I’m sure there are other things that they could do.”

Archibald was pessimistic about bringing back items that have been cut and warned trustees and community members that more cuts could still come.

“To think that schools are going to be spared anything that has been cut at this point is probably not the case,” Archibald said.

“The fact that the school districts may have to face more cuts than are already out there is more reality than talk right now.”

Along with Hauser and other librarians, some bus drivers, night custodians and special education instructional assistants will be losing their jobs, and many more classified staff positions will be reduced. District employees will also be facing compensation adjustment to help balance the budget.

With the approval of the plan, the district will be going forward with full-day kindergarten. The class will be changed from two half-day classes to one full day class, with the student-to-teacher ratio increasing from 15-to-1 to 30-to-1. This change is estimated to bring in 120 additional students and almost $300,000 in revenue.

District administrators shared the concerns of some kindergarten teachers who are worried about “balancing the budget on the backs of kindergartners,” but Jaffe said it is a good choice and will give children more instructional time.

“I’m very solid in feeling that it is the right move for our community,” Jaffe said.

In addition to changes to kindergarten, middle school zero period will be cut to save $20,000, and class sizes for the first and second grades will increase. In the coming school year, class sizes will increase to 24 students to save $558,180, and they will go up to 30 students in 2010-11 to cut back $967,347 from the deficit.

“All of those things affect and harm our children,” Jaffe said. “I know it will continue to be a high-quality education in our district, but these are all horrifying cuts.”