Deep Staffing Cuts Proposed to Save Head Start Program : Education: When budget talks fail, county urges 100 workers be laid off. Parents and employees union object.

After more than a week of failed negotiations by parents, union officials and the agency that runs Head Start programs in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys over a new budget, Los Angeles County officials Friday suggested drastic layoffs to keep classrooms open through the end of June.

Under the proposal, only a bare-bones staff composed primarily of teachers and teachers’ assistants would remain as part of an effort to make up a budget deficit county officials say was caused by mismanagement by the former director of the Latin American Civic Assn.

But the proposal was strongly opposed by the union representing most staff members and by parents, who said the cuts would severely affect the quality of services for their children.

“This drastic layoff measure is not acceptable,” said Jo Navarro, an official with Local 1475 of the Early Childhood Federation, which represents most of LACA’s nearly 260 employees.

“These layoffs would affect the three areas that most affect the children: health, nutrition and teaching,” said Shelli Yeoman, chairwoman of a parents committee, which under federal guidelines must approve any budget changes.

However, if the LACA board of directors, parents and the union cannot agree on a way to offset the deficit, the Los Angeles County Office of Education could step in by June and implement its proposal.

The program will be closed next week for spring break, but representatives of the LACA board, the parents advisory committee and the union are expected to meet to try to agree on a plan to keep classes open through the end of the fiscal year.

Last summer, county officials found that LACA had violated federal regulations and projected an $822,000 budget deficit for fiscal year 1992-93 because of mismanagement. As a result, county officials said they would not fund the agency to run the program after June 30.

County officials said that each day that passes without an agreement on a new budget is increasing the deficit by $17,000. Agency officials say that money allocated for this fiscal year will run out by April 16.

If the county takes over the program and officials implement their layoff proposal, it would mean laying off about 100 employees.

The county would keep all 73 teachers and all 73 teacher assistants without cutting their salaries. Those expenses, as well as those for four custodians, two drivers, supplies, office and classroom leases, utilities and transportation would come out of LACA’s remaining revenues.

Archie Catron, a county coordinator who oversees the LACA operation, said those expenses through the end of June amount to more than $852,000, which would still leave LACA short about $150,000.

Catron said the county would pay for additional staff members in eight different components of the program, mostly supervisors, coordinators and about a dozen other employees through the end of June at a cost of about $200,000.

“This is the maximum the county can contribute,” said Vincent Bello, the county education department’s director of program development and management. “There has to be some give and take or everything will come to a screeching halt.”

Still, employees and parents, becoming increasingly frustrated because they feel that staff members and the children are being sacrificed for the mistakes of management, were not satisfied by the proposal. They said the county should contribute more because it bears some responsibility for not monitoring LACA more closely.

“These are our children, and you promised to provide the services for them,” said Yeoman.

LACA is appealing the county’s decision not to fund the agency for the next fiscal year because of the financial problems. LACA will appeal the county’s decision to federal officials in San Francisco.

Irene Tovar, chairwoman of LACA’s board of directors, said she is hopeful that if LACA can get out of its crisis, federal officials will restore funding for next year.

“If we survive this, we have a good possibility to save the program beginning July 1,” said Tovar, who is looking for corporate support to help LACA through the end of June.

LACA was created nearly 30 years ago to improve educational opportunities for Latinos in the Valley, and it has operated Head Start under contract to the county. Head Start provides meals, instruction and health services to nearly 1,350 mostly poor children in the two valleys.