Santa Monica-Malibu : District Freezes Hiring
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has imposed a hiring freeze and is restricting purchasing in an attempt to have a balanced budget at the end of the year.
The spending cuts are warranted because revenues from the state lottery and interest income are falling short of projections made last year, said Arthur Cohen, assistant superintendent for fiscal and business services. Administrators predict a shortfall of $469,385 at the end of the school year unless cuts are made. The district’s overall general fund budget for the year is $47.3 million.
To meet the shortfall, there will be no hiring for jobs deemed nonessential for the rest of the year. District staff is to purchase only critically essential supplies, equipment and services.
The school board also voted Monday to form a committee that will suggest how to pare down educational programs to meet a projected $1-million budget shortfall for the 1992-93 school year.
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