Meusborn Wins His Layoff Case : Economics: Chatsworth baseball coach is guaranteed of a teaching job, but he is not sure where he will be working.

Tom Meusborn expressed relief Tuesday that he is assured of a job next school year with the L. A. Unified School District, but the Chatsworth High baseball coach has no idea where he will be working.

Meusborn, a physical education teacher, learned this week that the district had withdrawn the layoff notice he received in mid-March. The school district has proposed layoffs effective June 30 for 980 employees, including 319 physical education teachers, in an effort to cut $317 million from the 1991-92 budget. Meusborn is assured of work next school year because he also is qualified to teach biology.

Also receiving layoff notices were baseball coaches Manny Alvarado (Kennedy) and Dave Contreras (Birmingham) and basketball coaches Kevin Crider (Cleveland) and Jeff Davis (Canoga Park). In addition, Grant basketball Coach Howie Levine received a notice that he might be reassigned to another school.

Because Meusborn does not know whether he will stay at Chatsworth or be reassigned, his future as Chatsworth coach is in doubt. He is unsure whether he would continue to coach at Chatsworth if he worked at another school.

“I really don’t know what I will do because it could become a difficult situation,” he said. “I won’t rule anything out. Now, it’s just a relief to have a job.”

The district, which is not expected to make final decisions until June, is conducting hearings for tenured employees who received notices. Alvarado and Davis continue to attend the hearings in an effort to save their jobs. Crider, who first worked in the district in 1982 and signed his first contract in 1984, vowed that he would return to Cleveland for his second season regardless of where he works next school year.

“No matter what, I will coach next year, even if I’m just a (substitute teacher),” he said. “Even if I couldn’t sub and had to get another job, I’d coach for at least one more year. I feel a commitment to the kids.”

Crider, a physical education teacher, is cautiously optimistic about his chances of holding his job. He said that of the 319 physical education teachers who received notices, he ranks 41st in seniority.

“People have told me privately that they think it’s impossible that they’ll cut that many positions,” he said.

Meusborn, a six-year employee of the district, won his case at the hearings, which he had attended for two weeks before returning to school Tuesday. He admits that the struggle to remain employed has taken its toll on his job performance.

“It’s depressing,” he said. “It’s difficult to have a lot of enthusiasm, especially on the practice field. Game day is no problem, but it’s tough to stay focused when you’ve got outside things working on you.”