Ventura Schools Look at 6 Areas to Make $3.2 Million in Budget Cuts

About 50 parents, teachers, community leaders and administrators from the Ventura Unified School District met Tuesday to discuss ways to trim $3.2 million from the school budget. Alternatives include temporary elimination of employee benefits, closure of schools and a reduction in busing.

Those were among six areas identified by Supt. Cesare Caldarelli and other district officials as possible ways to reduce a shortfall in funding from the state. The projected 1991-92 budget is $57 million.

“None of us likes to suggest any of the issues listed on this paper,” said Caldarelli, indicating a letter that was sent to parent groups and district employees. “But we’re talking about survival.”

Officials outlined possible savings, some of which were suggested by parents and community members, in each of the six areas:

* Suspending employee benefits would save about $5 million annually, but would require the declaration of a fiscal emergency by the board and would probably result in a lawsuit by employee unions. Employees are already facing salary cuts of 4% to 8%.

* School closures and conversion to a year-round calendar would save about $90,000 for each small school and up to $200,000 per larger school. But officials said about 85% of the costs would remain because salaries are the largest expense and because the same number of teachers would be needed.

* Extracurricular activities and athletics could be suspended. However, that may be more damaging than beneficial because students may leave the district. The district could lose up to $3,000 per student, the amount of aid provided by the state.

* Eliminating busing could save about $290,000 of the district’s present $1.6-million transportation budget, but some busing programs, including those for special education children, are required and would have to remain.

* Special education programs could be eliminated. However, officials said that would not be feasible because almost all are mandated by the state.

* Reducing the amount of class periods per day from six to five could save money at the high school level, but children would have fewer choices for elective courses.

The predicted 1991-92 shortfall will result from reduced funding to public schools statewide, including the possible suspension of Proposition 98. That law, passed by voters in 1988, guarantees that more than 40% of state revenue be directed to schools. However, Gov. Pete Wilson in his preliminary budget has proposed suspending it. Suspension would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

The 15,000-student district has 23 schools with 660 full- and part-time teachers.

“I’m not happy about any of this,” parent Berta Hurley said. “We need to hit our parents with this information” and get them involved in a letter-writing campaign.

Other parents suggested that the community might not realize the extent of the funding crisis until activities are cut and classrooms are more crowded next school year.