IRVINE : School Board OKs $94-Million Budget

The Irvine Unified School District Board of Education approved a $94-million budget this week.

The 1993-94 fiscal year budget is about $3 million larger than last year’s and maintains funding for most educational programs. At the same time, it calls for about $1 million in cuts, most of which will be made by reducing future salary increases for teachers.

Board members on Tuesday also allocated $150,000 to hire additional security personnel for the district’s high schools and middle schools. The idea was suggested by the Safe Community Task Force, a committee that looked into ways of reducing youth violence in Irvine.

Board member Greg Smith, who served on the task force, said that security “supervisors” will monitor the school grounds to make sure that “outsiders” don’t enter campus without authorization. They will also be in charge of breaking up fights, Smith said.

District officials and principals have yet to decide exactly how the security personnel will be deployed in each school.