60 May Lose Jobs So District Can Save $1 Million : Budget: A variety of cost-cutting measures will be presented for a state administrator’s OK at Tuesday’s board meeting.

About 60 non-teaching employees are expected to lose their jobs in a new wave of budget cuts in the financially strapped Compton Unified School District, officials said.

The layoffs, scheduled to take effect Jan. 15, will save the district an estimated $1 million. Those losing jobs will probably include custodians, grounds crew workers and clerks.

“By and large these layoffs will affect people who have been working for the district a short time,” said Assistant Supt. Elisa L. Sanchez. “The majority of them are excellent workers. The layoff is not related to their performance but to the financial crisis the district continues to face.”

The budget reductions are expected to be approved at Tuesday’s board meeting by state-appointed Administrator Stanley G. Oswalt. The school board surrendered control to the state-appointed official in July as a condition for an emergency bailout loan. The state has granted the district loans totaling $19.9 million.

But even the loans have not been enough to balance this year’s $91.8-million budget. Earlier this year, the district laid off 60 or so non-teaching employees. The district also has reduced the salaries of administrators by 7% and eliminated stipends and health benefits for members of the school board.

Officials have proposed across-the-board pay cuts for all employees. Union leaders said the cuts would be unfair because district salaries already are low and because the rank-and-file workers are not to blame for the district’s financial woes.

Administrators said the pay cuts are unpleasant but probably necessary. They conceded that the cost-cutting moves are sure to undermine the school system’s efforts to improve lagging student achievement and repair aging, dilapidated schools.

Besides the layoffs, the district is expected to announce Tuesday a freeze on the purchase of most equipment, including typewriters, computers and cars for the school police force. Officials said they hope the freeze will save about $700,000.

The district also is renegotiating a lease with Xerox Corp. to cut costs. Last year, the district paid Xerox more than $1 million to lease and maintain about 90 photocopy machines. The district hopes to return 28 of the machines and save as much as $300,000.

But the most important cost-saving moves will not show up in the bottom line immediately, said Controller Theresa Morrison-Givens. She said the district has corrected the faulty management and accounting methods that led to insolvency.

Newly installed checks and balances in the district will prevent past practices such as unmonitored overtime payments and unauthorized spending, she said.