Schools’ Fiscal Health Not as Bad as It Seems : Education: Bonita Unified and El Monte City are on list of financially distressed districts. But officials say they would be unable to pay their bills only under worst-case circumstances.

Officials of Bonita Unified and El Monte City school districts--both named on a state list of financially distressed districts--said last week that news of their impending demise has been greatly exaggerated.

Officials for the two San Gabriel Valley districts, which were among 20 listed by the state Department of Education, blamed their inclusion on evaluations of fiscal health that Sacramento requires districts to file twice annually. Only one other Los Angeles County district, Inglewood Unified, was on the list.

Bonita and El Monte City both filed statements of “qualified” fiscal health on those reports, then explained under what worst-case circumstances they might not be able to meet their budgets.

Both districts cited their emergency reserves, which had dipped below the recommended state guidelines of 3% to 2% of their annual budgets. Bonita also cited pending contract negotiations with its non-teaching staff, saying it didn’t know how much the salary package would cost the district.

But education officials for both Bonita and El Monte stressed last week that they do not expect to go into the red.

“Our cash flow analysis indicates we will be able to pay our bills,” said Duane Dishno, superintendent of Bonita Unified, which serves about 9,600 students in La Verne and San Dimas.

On Wednesday, the Bonita Unified School Board voted to file a positive statement of fiscal health on its next state evaluation. Concerns about its $41-million budget for 1990-91 have been resolved, officials said. But Dishno warned that as with many school districts, Bonita might have to consider layoffs next year unless the financial picture improves.

In the 11,000-student El Monte City School District, officials said they believed it was important to signal constituents that the district might have financial problems this year if the state makes further cuts in education appropriations.

“I’m not really anticipating anything that’s going to cause us not to be able to pay our bills, but I feel it’s important to make the statement that if funding is significantly reduced we would not be able to make it,” said Elaine Pendleton, assistant superintendent of business services.

The El Monte district, which has a $42-million annual budget, serves elementary students in El Monte, South El Monte, part of Temple City and the unincorporated county area with an Arcadia mailing address.

“I don’t think we’re being overly cautious,” said Pendleton, who pointed out that the district has already laid off one grounds supervisor and 13 part-time guidance counselors. “I think we’re being realistic.”

Dishno said Bonita’s candor in filing financial reports may have worked against it.

“I’m aware of two other districts in this county that are in real serious trouble, and they weren’t on the list,” Dishno said. He refused to name the districts. “Maybe our board is just being more honest.”