Schools Budget Calls for No Major Cuts

The governing board of the Westminster School District has approved its 1994-95 budget, which calls for no significant cuts in programs or staff for the first time in four years.

The Board of Education approved the $35-million spending plan without comment at its regular meeting on Thursday. It proposes a 2% raise for classified personnel, and no change in the current level of staffing or programs.

In previous years, the district was forced to cut $3 million in programs and personnel because of plummeting funding from the state. Those cuts included the loss of school nurses, psychologists and teachers and resulted in larger class sizes, prompting bitter complaints from parents and school employees alike.

On Thursday, no one from the public spoke during the budget hearing.

“Our schools have had a really tough time for the past five years and its hard for anyone to work well under those conditions,” district spokeswoman Audrey Brown said. “However, this is the first year that we’re not deficit spending so we can breathe a little.”