Oak Park : Cost of New School Leaves District With Deficit of $200,000

The financial pressure of opening a new elementary school means the Oak Park Unified School District will have to cut its budget by $200,000 for the 1993-94 school year to avoid a third year of deficit spending, a district official said.

“We are going to try to focus on places that we can cut that are as far away from the classroom as possible,” Assistant Supt. Stan Mantooth said.

The rapidly growing district will open its third elementary school, Red Oaks, in September to relieve the pressure on its other schools.

But Mantooth said the school will not be financially self-sufficient until enrollment reaches an optimum level in a few years.

If services are maintained at current levels, Mantooth said, the district’s budget of $8.2 million would increase by about $935,000 next year.

The increase would cover the cost of hiring eight new teachers to handle an expected increase in enrollment of 230 students; a third elementary school principal; and pay increases for existing teachers who advance on salary schedules.

But revenue is expected to rise by only about $715,000, leaving a projected shortfall of more than $200,000, Mantooth said.

He said the administration will offer the board a balanced budget proposal at its April 13 meeting.

“We don’t want to lay off people,” Mantooth said.

The district is expected to end the current fiscal year with a $135,000 deficit--a shortfall that will be made up from cash balances.

The district ended the 1991-92 year with a $116,000 deficit.

However, board members said they do not want to run a deficit for a third year.