School Workers Bracing for the Worst Tidings of Springtime : Education: County teachers and staff members are again in jeopardy of losing their jobs. Preliminary layoff warnings must be sent by today.

Spring is nightmare time for school employees.

Because of the recurring budget battles in Sacramento, a rite of spring as predictable as the return of swallows to San Juan Capistrano, hundreds of county educators are again in jeopardy of losing their jobs.

Under state law, district officials must send preliminary layoff notices to employees by today if they intend to reduce their work force in the fall in reaction to cuts in the state education budget. Schools then send actual layoff notices in May.

Throughout the county, school boards are talking about the drastic measures that will have to be taken to stay in the black. As they did last year, officials are busy trimming and cutting in anticipation of less money from the state.

Public schools rely on state money, but California’s treasure chest is not full--far from it.

“I don’t think parents know the significance of March 15,” said Sheila Benecke, president-elect of the county’s Parents and Teachers Assn. “I dread it. It means cutting time.”

Although Gov. Pete Wilson has promised not to touch school money, there are some caveats. Primarily, the governor’s budget is linked with a 25% cut in welfare entitlements and repeal of California’s renters’ credit. Legislators and the governor are locking horns for a battle.

But what is most daunting is that the state is caught in the grip of a recession, which means that there is less revenue.

“Last year was grim, but this year is going to be grimmer for schools,” said Don Datko, budget control coordinator for the County Department of Education.

When school began in September, state funding cuts were not as drastic as predicted by school officials, who sent more than 650 pink slips last spring. Nevertheless, cuts were felt countywide. Class sizes increased in virtually every district, employees lost to attrition or layoffs were not replaced and music and art programs were axed.

School districts indicate that finances have not improved. Last week, the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education reduced its number of bilingual instruction aides, maintenance employees and insurance benefits in a desperate effort to cut $9 million.

To slice $3.1 million, trustees for the Huntington Beach Union High School District sent more than 54 preliminary notices. At the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, the numbers are worse: The Board of Education approved 108 preliminary layoffs.

Even financially sound schools are considering measures for worst-case scenarios. Earlier this month, Capistrano Unified School District trustees voted, 5-2, to send preliminary layoff notices to 284 teachers and administrators; 90 are first-year teachers.

The district is also considering increasing average class sizes by one student. Current class sizes are 29.1 students per elementary class, 30.1 students per junior high class and 31.1 students per high school class.

Educators and parents fear that it will get worse.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Supt. James O. Fleming said school officials will be walking on unsteady ground until the Legislature and the governor agree on a budget, which is not expected to take place until summer.

“Our problem is we don’t know for sure how much money we will have this year,” Fleming said. “We don’t know what they are giving us next year. We don’t know what we can save. All these things are unknown factors, because the state budget is in such terrible shape.”

But what is definitely known is that classrooms will feel the impact by next fall. Districts are cutting back on people who play key school roles, such as counselors and psychologists.

If the budget stands as is, Placentia-Yorba Linda will cut 16 counseling psychologists, leaving 10 counselors for 28 schools.

“It’s not good for kids,” Fleming said. “We have to water down programs and put more kids in less classrooms. It’s going to be devastating. We are doing all this not knowing what will happen. It could be worse.”

A day after Huntington Beach trustees approved the layoffs, Ocean View High School psychologist Karen Wisniewski received a notice. This is the second notice in two years for Wisniewski, who admits she dreads springtime.

“I’m sitting here, looking at my pink slip,” Wisniewski said. “It’s numbing.”

The district plans to cut six counselors and psychologists, three media specialists, four nurses and one part-time technology teacher.

Wisniewski said her family will survive financially if she receives a permanent layoff notice. But the psychologist worries that students will be hurt without adequate counseling.

“I’m in the trenches every day,” Wisniewski said. “They (trustees) are telling us we don’t need these services. But I’ve never seen so many problems before in the high schools. There are dropouts, teen pregnancies, drug addictions. We just stick our heads in the sand and pretend these problems are not here. It’s frustrating for me, because the kids are going to be hurt.”

Parent Benecke has three children attending Capistrano Unified schools. She said she can’t help but notice that extracurricular activities are disappearing. Benecke fears that schools will be forced to eliminate programs for exceptional students.

For example, high schools are more likely to trim advanced-placement chemistry--which would have fewer students--than English composition classes, which are required for all students.

“We already got through a year of serious cuts, and all districts had to cut back,” Benecke said. “We had to make do this year. Now we wonder what next year is going to be like.”