BACK TO SCHOOL : IRVINE : Letters to Parents Seek Donations for Activities

Back-to-school letters went out to some parents in the Irvine Unified School District recently that more closely resembled notices sent out by public television stations during a pledge drive.

Because budget shortfalls have led to $10,000 cuts from the athletic programs at each of the district’s three high schools, the letter asks parents to donate $50 for each after-school sport in which their children participate.

“To maintain all the various extra-curricular sorts of things the school district provides, we’re going to look to the community for contributions,” Deputy Supt. Paul Reed said. “The brutal reality is, if we open the book and we don’t have the money to run something, we won’t run it.”

Since the state’s allocation to education isn’t keeping pace with rising costs, Reed said, the school district increasingly has been cutting back on non-mandated services, such as busing. This year, faced with up to a $5-million shortfall, the cuts will probably extend into areas where more of the students will begin to notice, he said.

The $50 donation doubles the amount the school district previously requested from parents with children in after-school sports, band, cheerleading, theater and other activities. By law, the district cannot require a fee for after-school programs. But if the school district can’t afford a program, officials will cancel it rather than divert money from educational programs for it, Reed said.

Cost-cutting measures already have prompted the district to cancel Saturday junior-varsity football games this fall in order to save busing fees. The swimming pool at University High School will also be closed during the winter to save on heating and maintenance costs.