El Segundo Pledges to Give $400,000 to Schools : Education: The money will be used to keep teachers threatened by layoffs. In return, a school playing field will be made available to the public.

Trying to help El Segundo’s financially strapped school district, the City Council on Tuesday promised $400,000 to the schools so that the district can retain most of the teachers and counselors due to be laid off at the end of the school year.

The district will receive the money on the condition that it agrees to make the playing field at El Segundo Middle School available for public recreation.

Supt. Bill Manahan said that nine teachers and two counselors are facing layoffs and that the money will allow the district to retain at least eight of them. The four-school district, with an enrollment of 2,035 students, has 92 teachers and two counselors.

Councilman J. B. Wise, who proposed the allocation, said the schools cannot afford to lose so many teachers. The council stipulated that the money be used solely to retain the teachers for one year. The deal is conditional because the city cannot make a gift of public funds.

Manahan called the council’s action a “commendable position for them and beneficial to us. . . . The city attitude is that those students are our students.”

In addition to sending layoff notices, the district--anticipating reductions in state funding--identified other budget cuts totaling $300,000 for next year, Manahan said.

Among other things, some job positions--including math and science specialists--will not be filled, and charges will be imposed for athletic transportation. The city will take over operation of school libraries, and some elementary school class sizes will be increased.

The district anticipates an $8.7-million budget for 1991-92 that includes the city money. It is $200,000 below this year’s budget.

In an effort to increase its income, the district will place a parcel tax on the November ballot to raise $500,000 a year. A specific tax proposal will be formulated by a tax steering committee to be set up by the district.

“The whole purpose is to retain some local control that we can depend on,” said Manahan, adding that such taxes “are not easy to pass.” Wise encouraged residents Tuesday to “take care of the schools” by supporting such a tax.