City Section Braces for More Cutbacks : Prep sports: After 20% cut last year, another expected in new budget.

High school sports continue to hang by a thread in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

With the state’s most populous district facing further cuts before it adopts a final budget sometime next month, athletics will probably feel some of the sting.

“We’re in a crisis situation, so we cannot approach things in a business-as-usual manner,” said Mark Slavkin, a school board member. “People out there are going to be judging us on our actions to see what our priorities are. With teachers being asked to take a 17% pay cut, it may be hard to justify holding games on Friday afternoons.”

The district trimmed $400 million in June to balance the initial 1992-93 budget at $3.88 billion. Athletics were spared, but Slavkin says some cuts can be expected before a final budget is approved.

When the district had to trim $241 million in June of 1991, athletics were hit with a 20% cut of $940,000. That resulted in the elimination of junior varsity football and a three-week down period for winter sports.

Operating with a $3.7-million budget for its 50 high schools has not been easy for athletic administrators. They say their programs have been stretched to their limits. Further cuts will probably result in elimination of certain sports.

Slavkin has been the most outspoken board member on the matter. For the past two years, he has proposed elimination of all general funding of athletics until education finances return to normal levels.

The board voted, 6-1, against Slavkin’s latest proposal in June, and he admits public sentiment is not on his side.

“Even when we go back to adopt a final budget, I don’t think the board will vote to cut athletics completely,” said Slavkin, a Hamilton High graduate. “But it is all just part of the process that people don’t want to confront this dangerous situation.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love sports and understand the important role it plays in the education process. But this is not a normal year, and we have to be very realistic.”

Slavkin says if the district cuts off general funding, the business community would come through with donations.

United Teachers-Los Angeles, the union that represents the district’s 35,000 teachers, also is proposing the elimination of general funding for athletics.

Helen Bernstein, UTLA president, held a forum Thursday night with district coaches to try to gain support for the union. Several weeks ago, she asked football coaches if they would be willing to boycott the first game in protest, but the vote was not favorable.

Bernstein said one alternative UTLA is proposing is that local professional teams put an extra tax on tickets and donate the proceeds to finance the athletic program.

“I’ve drafted a letter to (Dodger owner) Peter O’Malley and plan to do more,” Bernstein said.

The San Francisco Section receives funds from a similar system adopted by the Giants and 49ers.

Even if Los Angeles sports are spared monetary cuts this year, coaches and athletes may notice some differences in service.

Hal Harkness, commissioner of the CIF City Section, lost two assistants this summer. Lee Joseph was reassigned and Pat Harvey retired. Neither is being replaced.

Although Joseph and Harvey will help run playoff events, Harkness says his office will not be able to deal with as many matters as it had in the past.

“I am telling schools they will have to handle a lot of in-house problems themselves,” Harkness said. “Many disputes will have to be taken care of on the local level. We will act less like a league office and more like a section office.”

Harkness said the City office will continue to handle eligibility, rules enforcement, scheduling and playoff groupings for its 20 sports.

Rob Levy, football coach at Belmont, said he has run out of equipment the past two seasons, leaving many of his players without shoulder pads and helmets.

“I just tell the kids to wait it out until someone quits or gets injured,” Levy said.

With the elimination of junior varsity football last year, Levy said many of his upperclassmen are going out for the varsity with little or no experience. He also has one fewer paid assistant, resulting in two paid coaches for 75 players.

Wendy Triplett, girls’ basketball coach at Marshall, said coaches are being asked to do more for less.

“Coaches do this because they love the sport,” said Triplett, a member of Coaches of Los Angeles Women’s Sports.