ELECTIONS ’88 ORANGE COUNTY : Cypress School District : Candidates Target Money Shortage

All four candidates for the Cypress (Elementary) School District Board of Trustees say a shortage of money is the major problem facing the district and are proposing new steps to increase income and cut costs.

In response to a Times questionnaire, the school board candidates mentioned a variety of money problems, including deficit spending and the need to rebuild one school.

The four candidates are running for two seats on the five-member school board. The only incumbent seeking reelection is Donna Lee McDougall, who was first elected in November, 1983. Incumbent Christine Swain, a veteran of about 28 years of service on the board, is not seeking reelection.

In addition to McDougall, the other three candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot are Stephen Blount, a corporate accounting manager; Penny Brown, a housewife, and Donna Erickson, a specialist in child-care and family services.

Blount, 39, is critical of how the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade district has been managed. “The biggest problem (in the school district) is the continual deficit spending and drain of reserves, accelerated by the unnecessary, or at best, premature opening of two schools,” Blount said. If he is elected, he said, “I would look into new ways of funding or ways of cutting costs from businesses.” Blount also said Supt. William B. Calton “should be encouraged not to seek a new contract with the district.”

Brown, 47, said: “We are faced with rebuilding a burned-out school, Landell, and hiring more teachers at existing schools. All of this with small prospect of increased funds.” She said one solution may be to change class sizes. “Although our district has been committed to low--24 to 25 (students)--class size, average class size may have to be raised,” she said.

Erickson, 39, said: “Cypress School District must maintain a sound fiscal policy. Reserve funds are dwindling due to deficit spending. We need to investigate ways to generate more revenue from underutilized schools. The budget must be balanced without sacrificing the quality of education or low class size.” Erickson also said, “The curriculum needs to be strengthened, with an emphasis in literature, reasoning and writing skills.”

McDougall, the incumbent, said: “The biggest problem in my school district, as in many districts, is adequate and stable funding.” She said pressure must be put on the state to provide more education money. “In addition to pressing our legislators, we need to constantly and carefully watch our budget,” she added. She said she wants to maintain “low class size and low administrative overhead.” McDougall also called for launching a private fund-raising foundation for the school district.

CYPRESS (ELEMENTARY) SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEESFour candidates are running for two seats on the five-member Cypress (Elementary) School District Board of Trustees in the Nov. 8 election.