School budget predictions look grim
Board ponders cost-cutting measures
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Moorpark school officials were gloomy as they reviewed proposed cuts for the upcoming school year.

The cuts will affect students and their parents, who will have to pay larger fees for certain services, said Larry Brown, assistant superintendent for Moorpark Unified School District.

The governor's proposal to trim 10 percent from the state education budget earlier this year has caused huge concerns among parents and school leaders.

Preliminary losses amount to more than $2.2 million.

"It seems we're heading for the worst. I can't emphasize enough that this is bad," Brown said.

Since schools receive compensation based on the number of students they serve, declining enrollment will result in an estimated loss of $1 million in funding.

The practical impacts of the impending cuts are starting to hit home, as school officials work to reduce services and adjust the number of employees to make ends meet.

District leaders are identifying areas where cuts can be made. But the cost-cutting measures still leave the district with an anticipated $991,000 shortfall, Brown said.

The school board reviewed several options on Tuesday.

Teachers, counselors, librarians, custodians and administrators will be discharged and class size will be larger if budget cuts must be implemented.

Employees who retire or move away will not be replaced, and about 15 to 20 people will lose their jobs this summer, according to trustees.

"There are problematic impacts to all these reductions," said Superintendent Ellen Smith.

Those who remain will have more work to do with fewer resources.

"It will be a difficult job for the colleagues of the employees who lost their jobs to redefine what they do," Smith said.

School trustees also considered modifying some school bus routes and services and possibly removing funding for the high school resource officer to save a combined $230,000 per year.

"We may even face more cuts later on depending on what the state is doing," said trustee Ron LaGuardia. "We need to educate people and prepare for what's coming next year."

School districts must have a balanced budget finalized by the end of June, so they're compelled to reduce personnel and programs in anticipation of a budget shortfall. State legislators might not finalize their budget until January next year, said Brown.

"Even a bad resolution may be better than waiting until January," he said.

"Legislators talk about these things in abstract terms, but this is real for people in the schools," said trustee David Pollock.

Teachers from several local school districts will rally in front of Sen. Tom McClintock's (RThousand Oaks) office at 4 p.m. today to voice their concerns, said Richard Gillis, president of the Moorpark Educators Association.