BUENA PARK : Centralia Schools Lay Off 7 Workers

Seven part-time employees of the Centralia School District were laid off this week and other cutbacks are expected, officials said.

“The budget has gotten tighter every year,” said Jean Stephenson, director of human resources. “We had to look at it and make cuts.”

Although the state’s budget is still being hammered out in Sacramento, the district is estimating a $400,000 shortfall for the 1990-91 budget year. To counter the deficit, other cutbacks are expected in “non-student related areas,” said Director of Fiscal Services Steve Bolman. This does not include layoffs.

“We are looking at such things as overtime, conferences and travel,” Bolman said.

This is the biggest layoff for the district in several years, officials said. Four parent volunteer coordinators and three teaching assistants were laid off.

Despite an increasing enrollment, the amount of money allocated to the district is not keeping up with increasing costs, Bolman said. According to preliminary figures, revenue is estimated at $17.8 million while expenses are more than $18 million. The difference will be taken out of the district’s reserve, which must maintain a 3% balance. Until the state allocates money to the district, the reserve balance will not be known, Bolman said.