IRVINE : Schools to Pass Hat for Science, Music

The Irvine Unified School District Board of Education has decided that it would rather charge parents for science and before-school music classes and pass the hat for donations rather than cut art, science and music classes because of a lack of money.

The board voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to charge the new fees and ask for donations in order to help close a $2.2-million deficit expected in the school district’s 1992-93 budget.

The predicted deficit is old news to the school board, which has already decided on other cuts and to borrow money from insurance and other funds in preparation for reduced state funding. But until Tuesday, the board had not decided whether to cut major classroom programs such as art and science.

Board President Greg Smith opposed the board action, saying he would rather cut additional items from the budget in order to restore personnel such as psychologists and library media specialists targeted to be cut this fall,.

The new fees and hoped-for donations will allow the district to offer art and science classes at the same level as the last school year, although instrumental music programs for grades four to six will be cut 25%. All three programs previously were slated for deeper reductions.

High school seniors will continue to be allowed to take six classes next semester, although the district will “strongly encourage” seniors to take extra enriching classes at a local college instead, Supt. David E. Brown said.

Still reduced under the board’s action were maintenance of the school grounds and classrooms, the number of school nurses and psychologists and discretionary funding that most schools use to hire librarians. The board eliminated its $5,000 funding for the Academic Decathlon.

New fees will include $200 for before-school music classes at the middle school, $75 for pep squad and marching band busing and $15 for science classes in grades four to six.

The district will also increase fees for music instrument rentals, student athlete busing and other programs. School lunch prices will also go up.

Wrapped among the new fees and reduced services is an ambitious plan to raise $135,000 from parents, corporations or other donors. Several fund-raising programs are included in the district’s budget proposal, including asking parents to buy $5 tickets to attend student musical performances, auctioning off student artwork and selling science fair kits to students.