Hundreds Protest ABC District Cutback Plan

More than 300 employees, parents and students packed a special meeting Tuesday to protest the ABC Unified School District’s plan to cut $3 million from next year’s budget.

The cuts would eliminate at least 40 positions, including 12 nurses and eight librarians. The positions would be eliminated by not filling vacancies for 10 teachers and 10 clerks and by not replacing employees who retire or resign.

School officials said the cuts are necessary in the 1991-92 budget due to a combinations of factors, including drastic cutbacks in state funding and salary raises.

“The cuts are gut-wrenching, but necessary,” Supt. Larry Lucas said to an unsympathetic crowd.

Many of the teachers and parents picketed outside the Gahr High School multipurpose room before the meeting began. They carried signs that read, “Don’t Cut Librarians,” and “Don’t Cut Nurses.”

Some shouted, “If your kids get sick, send them to Larry Lucas.”

More than 30 people spoke against cuts during the meeting.

“We realize some cuts are necessary, but they should be as far away from the classroom as possible,” said Richard Hathaway, president of the teachers union.

“It is not educationally sound to cut nurses or librarians, “ Hathaway said.

The nurses and the librarians would be given the opportunity to go back to the classroom to teach, according to Lucas. Yet officials admitted that nurses were more likely to lose jobs because they do not have teaching credentials, while the librarians have credentials.

The administration would help the nurses get emergency teaching credentials, said Ira Toibin, assistant superintendent.

The district, which has more than 20,000 students, would not be without health services, Toibin said. After the cuts, the district would still have seven nurses. School secretaries with first-aid certificates and school staff would help administer medication and first aid to students, officials said.

Transferring of the eight librarians back to the classroom will leave the district with one full-time librarian. The district will hire five clerks to help the librarian.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Lucas, I don’t think a clerk could do it (the job of a librarian),” Marvin Capeloto said. Capeloto, the librarian at Faye Ross Junior High School, has been with the district for 25 years.

Phyllis Nerys, a teacher at the district child-care center, told school board members that she would refuse to administer medication to students because she did not feel she was qualified.

“I can’t. I wouldn’t. I won’t,” Nerys said.

A couple of speakers, including Hawaiian Gardens Councilwoman Kathleen Navejas, urged a recall movement against board members who appeared to be in favor of the cuts.

“These are puppets for Dr. Lucas,” Navejas said.

Board President Robert Hughlett and members Jim Weisenberger, Dean Criss and Catherine Grant voted to start making the $3-million cuts.

Community correspondent Suzan Schill contributed to this story.