NEWPORT BEACH : School District to Hold Budget Meeting

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District board will hold a special meeting tonight to discuss its 1992-93 budget.

Officials will comb the two-inch-thick budget document line by line and decide which programs will remain and which will be cut to cover the district’s projected budget shortfall.

The 28-school district is facing a $3.6-million deficit that it hopes to close by laying off teachers and cutting some programs.

Already, the district has decided to start charging for bus rides to school, which is expected to bring in an additional $225,000 in annual revenue.

Trustees also approved cutting up to 100 teaching jobs and may give “golden handshake” retirement incentives to some employees.

A plan to close the school agricultural program and farm at Costa Mesa High School, which would have saved the district about $90,000, was scrapped in favor of giving the farm half its regular funds and requiring it to become more financially self-sufficient.

The 7 p.m. meeting will be at Harper Community Center, 425 E. 18th St., Costa Mesa.