Ventura Schools’ Deficit Threatens Jobs of Principals

Principals, vice principals and school psychologists were among the 63 employees of the Ventura Unified School District who began receiving notices this week that they could lose their jobs or be reassigned to offset a projected $3.2-million deficit.

The district will also send notices by March 15 to probationary teachers, who have worked less than a year in the district, Assistant Supt. Richard L. Averett said.

The notices, sent by certified mail, advise administrators who have worked for the school district more than three years that they could be assigned to a classroom teaching position, officials said. Employees with less than a year with the district could lose their jobs.

John Gennaro, president of the Ventura Unified Education Assn., said the union will meet with district officials before the March 15 deadline to determine which permanent teachers might be notified of layoffs.

School officials statewide are bracing for cuts in the wake of Gov. Pete Wilson’s preliminary budget, which proposes the suspension of Proposition 98. That law guarantees at least 40% of state funds to public schools.

“We hope that if it’s not suspended, the cuts won’t be quite as deep,” said Gennaro, citing lobbying efforts by the California Teachers Assn. to keep Proposition 98 in effect for the 1991-92 school year. “We feel that schools have given up their share already.”

At school districts, where salaries and benefits can account for more than 80% of the operating budget, officials said layoffs may be inevitable.

The move by Ventura school officials mirrors actions by other districts across the county, where officials are trying to meet layoff-notification deadlines provided under state law.

The Ojai Unified School District is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to lay off two teachers and suspend its mentor teacher program.

Under the program, teachers work as mentors to other teachers, training them and developing curriculum in such subjects as bilingual education, music and language arts. Mentor teachers receive an extra $4,000 a year.

The Ojai board will decide whether to notify five mentor teachers that they must return to regular teaching duties because of the proposed elimination of state funding to the program, Assistant Supt. Pamela Martens said.

In addition, the board will decide whether to eliminate two part-time temporary teaching positions, both at Nordhoff High School, and whether to reduce another teaching position from full to part time, Martens said.

The Santa Paula Union High School District will also consider teacher layoffs at its meeting Wednesday, although the number of possible layoffs has not been released, school board member Shirley H. Hendren said.

In the Oxnard School District last week, the board approved sending notices to 63 employees, including 17 teachers, to make up for a projected $2.75-million deficit.

And in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, in an effort to offset a projected $4.2-million shortfall, officials sent letters to more than 40 employees, including temporary teachers, psychologists and school administrators.

In Simi Valley additional layoffs may not be necessary this year, even with a projected deficit of at least $2 million, officials said. Last year, officials laid off 32 temporary teachers, four nurses and four librarians while making $8 million in cuts.

Assistant Supt. Mary Beth Wolford said the district is looking at other ways to balance its budget, including curtailing health-benefit costs and through employee attrition.

“We’re hoping the board will not find it necessary to take any action to give notices,” Wolford said.