Posted on 05/30/2002 4:52:45 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Still facing a budget deficit of nearly $55 million for fiscal 2002, the Los Angeles Unified School District board is expected today to continue cutting programs -- most affecting administrative offices.
The cuts would come on top of $384.6 million in reductions already approved by the board last month. But LAUSD Chief Financial Officer Joseph Zeronian said the second round of ideas will likely be less controversial than those already approved -- including increasing class size in the upper elementary and all secondary grades to save $48 million.
"If you look at the list, most are to the central offices or are away from the schools," Zeronian said. "There are people affected by these cuts as well, but it won't detract from the instructional programs in the classroom."
Zeronian noted that several proposals are one-time savings. For instance, the district could save $3 million by postponing the purchase of replacement school buses.
Another proposal is to save about $4 million by reducing the number of school buses the district contracts for through outside private transportation companies. However, that could result in the district having to double up on some bus routes, which could force schools to stagger their starting times.
The district buses about 70,000 children daily. LAUSD board president Caprice Young said the proposal may be a sound solution to help ease this year's tough financial picture, but she warned it won't work in the long term.
"Some kids will have to get up really, really early and some will get home really, really late," Young said.
The board will also vote on $10 million in reductions to downtown office accounts it approved last month. The cuts are up to the discretion of Superintendent Roy Romer, but the board asked for a list of exactly what he intends to trim.
The first item on his list is a reduction to the Inspector General's Office. Other items include delaying the purchase of school police vehicles and suspending the taping and televising of committee meetings.
Other cuts call for delaying the assignment of assistant principals to special education programs, a savings of $8 million, and trimming more than $6 million in the maintenance costs by eliminating as many as 90 vacant jobs.
"We don't expect to have to lay anyone off. We have enough through attrition. There isn't a branch that reports to me that doesn't have a vacancy," Zeronian said.
Still another measure would reduce $3 million for coordinating and training staff members who score writing performance assignments administered to students in grades 2 through 9. The test was introduced more than two years ago and aims to help teachers design better lessons for their classes.
Board member David Tokofsky noted that the board earlier this week voted to look into alternative ways to assess student achievement, including bolstering the use of such performance assignments.
"If the board believes in the motion it passed this week, then it ought not cut this funding," said Tokofsky.
He also said the district's move this year into its new headquarters building is a woeful drain on LAUSD's tight budget and puts board members in a tough position.
The board purchased the building for $157.9 million, but will have to raid up to $26 million more from the general fund to lease interim office space for employees.
"I would rather cut $30 million of the general fund money to the facilities department that keeps buying these boondoggle buildings that are costing the taxpayers a pretty penny and costing us a hell of a lot in credibility," he said.The Los Angeles Unified School District board will meet at 1 p.m. at district headquarters, 450 N. Grand Ave.
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The board purchased the building for $157.9 million, but will have to raid up to $26 million more from the general fund to lease interim office space for employees.
Sell the building and lease more space, or let people "work" from home. Or fire them. No one would notice.
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