Cerritos : List of School Cuts Studied

An overflow crowd of more than 100 people attended an ABC Unified School District Board of Education public hearing on a list of 33 proposed budget cuts amounting to $2 million for fiscal 1987-88.

During the two-hour hearing, more than 30 people spoke in opposition to the proposed cuts. Speakers included parents, teachers, nurses, librarians, bus drivers, custodians and union representatives.

The seven-member board made no comments. It is expected to make decisions on some of the proposals at its Feb. 17 meeting. A preliminary balanced budget must be sent to the Los Angeles County Office of Education by the end of June. A final budget is due in the state Department of Education office in September.

The list of proposed cuts includes eliminating junior high school extracurricular sports, which would save $82,000; reducing bus drivers’ hours, saving $140,000; increasing the size of all classes districtwide by one student, which would eliminate 36 teachers for a saving of $700,000, and reducing custodial costs by cleaning elementary schools every other day instead of daily, and reducing high school night cleaning crews by one employee each for a saving of $330,000. The proposed cuts also include replacing or reducing school nurses with health clerks, saving $400,000.