District-by-District Look at Cuts

A survey of Orange County school districts shows that nearly 650 administrative, professional and support staff positions may be eliminated next year due to financial shortfalls. Here is a district-by-district look at cuts that had been instituted or were being considered as of last Thursday:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS

* Anaheim City: The instructional TV program, which since 1954 has offered science, social studies, music and some language arts, has been eliminated for a savings of nearly $1 million. Five teachers will retire or be reassigned, and two camera operators, a secretary, a graphic artist and the program director will be laid off. The kindergarten through second-grade music program has been eliminated, and its four teachers have been reassigned to classrooms. Twelve positions in other departments--three special-assignment teachers, seven custodians and two instructional aides--have been eliminated, as have field trips, new library books and all new purchases, except of essential supplies.

* Buena Park: Considering eliminating positions for four resource teachers, two music teachers, one substance-abuse teacher and an elementary physical education teacher, with the employees being reassigned to the classroom; also considering reassigning four assistant principals. Ten temporary teachers have been given dismissal notices. The district is also seeking to increase average class size from 28 to 30 students.

* Centralia: Initiated a hiring freeze on non-classroom positions; positions vacated are not being filled. All district departments and all schools took an immediate 10% budget cut.

* Cypress: Board of Trustees has increased average class size from 25 to 26 students. Five temporary contract teachers have not been offered contracts for next year.

* Fountain Valley: No job cuts or layoffs for next school year, but district officials note that salary increases have not been figured into their budgets for two years.

* Fullerton: Three counseling positions will be cut at the junior high school level. Three special assignment teachers at elementary schools will be reassigned. There will be across-the-board cuts of 10% to 40% from the central operations budgets at the district office, including instructional services, maintenance/operations and transportation. Building funds and discretionary funds such as supplies and vendor services will be cut by 29%. Layoffs are being covered by attrition.

* Huntington Beach City: Continuing to review budget; no cuts have been made yet.

* La Habra City: Seeking to shave almost $2 million from its 1991-92 budget, the board has recommended raising class size from 27 to 29 students and eliminating 15 teaching positions by attrition. Also considering eliminating 5.5 non-teaching positions. Will no longer supplement school improvement programs from the general fund. There is a plan to decrease the budget for classroom supplies and equipment.

* Magnolia: Budget is under discussion, no firm plans yet.

* Ocean View: Three positions eliminated by attrition; no other cuts being considered.

* Savanna: Has placed a freeze on replacing two non-teaching district positions. No layoffs are anticipated.

* Westminster: No cuts yet; budget under review.

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS

* Anaheim Union: Five administrators and five counselors will be laid off. Average class size will be increased. Eighteen teachers have retired and will not be replaced; temporary contract teachers were not renewed, eliminating a total of 50 teaching positions. All departments and schools have been ordered to cut their budgets by 10%. District also considering eliminating 27 non-classroom positions.

* Fullerton Joint Union: Anticipating some federal- and state-funded programs to be cut and has been reducing those programs accordingly.

* Huntington Beach Union: Has rescinded layoff notices for 25 administrative and 14 professional positions, but will be eliminating seven administrative positions--one district position and six activity directors. Negotiating other budget cuts, including increasing class size.

UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS

* Brea-Olinda: Two support staff positions have been cut.

* Capistrano: Board of Trustees has cut $4.1 million from its 1991-92 budget. While there have been no job freezes, average class size has increased from 28 students on the elementary level and 30 on the junior and senior levels to 29 and 31, respectively. Fifth- and sixth-grade camping trips have been eliminated, and two teaching positions were lost when the supplemental music program was reduced for kindergarten through third grades. Equipment expenditures have been reduced, and seven jobs have been eliminated--one administrative, two in the district office, two teaching positions and two non-teaching positions.

* Garden Grove: No layoffs planned or anticipated.

* Irvine: In a worst-case scenario, the district will have to cut $3.3 million. Proposed cuts include: Elimination or reassignment of 17 administrative positions; a 25% cut in support of athletics; a 50% reduction in staffing for library media; a 25% reduction in science classes for grades four through six; a 15% cut in supplies; changing custodial scheduling to clean classrooms every other day; elimination of staff development; reduction of the fine arts program for grades one through three; rescheduling of periods at middle schools, which may eliminate fine arts for some students; reduction in counseling and guidance services at each high school; reduction in transportation, and $1 million in cuts in central office services from the district office. The district is also going to the voters June 4 to ask for a parcel tax--a flat tax per house or business--of $35 per year per parcel.

* Laguna Beach: No cuts planned.

* Los Alamitos: Considering nearly $2 million in cuts through elimination of nine positions in maintenance and operation, and staff reductions at the district and school levels. District has increased average class size from 28 to 29.5, and anticipates losing 10 positions by attrition. Other cuts are in services, supplies and equipment, special programs and transportation. The district is reviewing a program to charge parents for home-to-school bus service.

* Newport-Mesa: Purchasing and personnel freezes were implemented for 1990-91; plans to update the library technology program have been suspended. Seeking to cut nearly $3-million from its 1991-92 budget. Ten non-teaching district positions will be eliminated by attrition. Computer technology programs have been suspended. There will be a reduction of one counselor per high school--they will either go back to classroom or retire. High school opportunity program, which helps students with special academic needs, is being eliminated. English as a second language will lose one manager; resource teachers and special assignment teachers will be reassigned to the classroom. Average class size will increase from 26.5 on the secondary level and 27.5 on the elementary level to 28.5 for all grade levels. Athletic transportation budget will be cut by $100,000.

* Orange: In first year of a two-year plan to restore fiscal solvency. In 1990-91, the district eliminated four district positions, seven district office clerks and 17 maintenance/operations workers; plans to reduce eight positions from the secondary schools by the end of the year. Proposals for the second year (1991-92) include elimination or reassignment of four assistant principals and three program managers; the district is also working with the teachers union to identify 15 teaching positions that can be reduced through attrition.

* Placentia: The board will have to make as much as $9 million to $10 million in cuts. Authorized layoffs last week for the equivalent of 132 full-time positions; of those, 115.8 were teachers and 16.5 were managers. Forty-seven managers were reassigned. Increased average class size by one student. The board has also authorized the district to give layoff notices to 100 non-teaching staff members, and will make cuts in transportation, supplies and other areas.

* Saddleback Valley: Has laid off 55 support staff; 82 teachers will be receiving layoff notices by May 15. Programs are also being cut.

* Santa Ana: Has eliminated 117 teaching and 13 administrative positions. Layoff notices for more than 70 educators and classified employees are expected to be approved by district trustees today. The board is also expected to approve layoff notices for 30 classified employees, including 15 Indochinese instructional aides and 12 library media assistants. About 150 temporary teachers have been retained but have been notified that there will not be any permanent positions available in the fall. Because of growth, however, the district has reassigned some of the staff members whose positions were eliminated.

* Tustin: Considering $500,000 to $700,000 in cuts; specific recommendations have not yet been sent to the board of trustees, but no layoffs are planned.

Times researcher Janice Jones contributed to this report.