15 Teaching Jobs Abolished in Torrance’s School Budget : Education: The reductions are made in an effort to save $1 million and offset an anticipated shortfall in state funds. Two teachers will get layoff notices.

Torrance Unified School District trustees have voted to eliminate 15 teaching positions, including three vocal music teachers and three language arts specialists, in an attempt to pare more than $1 million from its 1992-93 budget.

The cuts were needed in part to offset an anticipated shortfall in state cost-of-living increases, as well as to meet state requirements that the district keep 3% of its budget in reserve for emergencies.

The changes were adopted Tuesday after two days of hastily called meetings in which the trustees considered cutting as much as $2 million from the $86-million budget. The meetings were timed to comply with a state law requiring districts to notify teachers of possible layoffs by March 15.

The school board also agreed to reduce psychological services and athletic programs, freeze all clerical positions and increase the average class size from 27 to 28 students.

Although 18 positions, including two administrators and a school psychologist, would be affected by the cuts, only two teachers will receive layoff notices. The rest of the positions will be eliminated through attrition of permanent employees, reassignments and non-renewal of temporary employees with one-year contracts. Two administrators who are retiring will not be replaced.

“The governor presented an unrealistic budget,” Trustee William R. Blischke said. “This time we have to assume we’re not going to have money. We have to plan for that. It’s a very painful process.”

Several board members described the cuts as safeguards to protect the district from overspending, in case funds expected from the state do not materialize. They said they hoped to receive enough money to make at least some of the cuts unnecessary.

Last year, the board slashed its budget by $2.56 million in a move that eliminated 70 jobs. Six months later, about half of the jobs were restored.

Several teachers who attended the two meetings said they were upset because teachers were targeted by the cuts.

“Teachers are incensed,” said William Franchini, executive director of the Torrance Teachers Assn. “What we’re looking for here is a sense of fairness.”

Frank Tyrrell, assistant superintendent for personnel services, denied that the administration was trying to protect administrators from the cuts. He said the district in fact has far fewer administrators than recommended by the state.

“We could add seven more administrators in the district and still be in compliance” with state recommendations, Tyrrell said.

Nine high school teaching positions were among the 15 that would be eliminated. The trustees also voted to reduce funding for the middle-school busing program by one-third.

High school athletic programs will also be reduced, but trustees said they hoped that booster clubs would help raise money for uniforms, equipment and possibly coaching stipends.

The trustees also voted to trim the supply budget by 10% and their conference budget by $25,000. Transportation and ground maintenance departments will be reorganized.

Carol O’Brien, a parent of a West High School student and president of the Torrance Council of PTAs, was among those who spoke out against the cuts.

“My son is an athlete,” O’Brien said. “I’m not sure how the cut will affect him. I do know that teacher cuts mean that they’re now going to stuff my kid in larger classrooms.”

But, O’Brien said, she doesn’t blame the school board for the cutbacks.

“I blame the state of California and the way they don’t fund schools,” she said.

The budget cuts, which totaled just over $1 million, were needed in part to cover a $400,000 shortage in the district’s emergency reserve fund. State law requires all school districts to keep 3% of their budget in reserve for emergencies. Torrance, however, has been operating with only 2.5% in its reserve fund.

Assistant Supt. Harvey Oelkers said the administration based its budget cut recommendations on reports from nonpartisan legislative analysts in Sacramento. He said he was told that the governor’s budget was already $300 million less than anticipated in January--an indication that things could get worse.

The board is expected to adopt its final budget on July 1, board President Ann P. Gallagher said. The trustees, however, will have to wait until the state completes its budget before they can act on the cuts.

Torrance employs more than 800 teachers, 47 of which are temporary positions. There are four high schools, six middle schools and 17 elementary schools in the district. More than 20,000 students attend Torrance schools.