Simi Schools May Dip Into Funding for Adult Program : Finances: Officials say the $450,000 shift would offset the district’s $3.2-million shortfall.

The Simi Valley school system is considering taking more than $450,000 from its adult education program’s budget to offset the school district’s $3.2-million deficit.

The one-time transfer of funds would be justified, school board members said, because adult education did not sustain significant budget cuts during the district’s budget overhaul earlier this year.

But after years of carefully saving more than $4.5 million, adult education administrators do not want to see their nest egg reduced.

“All of that revenue has been generated by prudent expenditures,” adult education director Sondra Jones said. “We saved that money . . . None of that was ever intended to fund the K-12 program.”

The transfer of funds, which will be discussed at tonight’s school board meeting, is possible as a result of a change in state law.

The state budget, which was approved last month, allows for a 10% shift in adult education revenue for the 1994-95 school year. The decision overrides existing state regulations that restrict how adult education funds are spent.

“In the past, adult education was never affected because we have other legislation that says money raised in adult education must stay in adult education,” said Gerold Kilbert, an assistant superintendent for the state Department of Education.

*

But this time, the Legislature decided the districts should be able to use that money, Kilbert said.

Simi Valley Supt. Mary Beth Wolford said the decision will help school districts struggling to make ends meet.

“It is unusual because previously the education code had protected adult education from transfers, but I think that might have taken place because there are so many districts around the state that are going to need resources to balance their budgets,” she said.

Taking funds from Simi Valley’s adult education program, which is the largest and wealthiest in Ventura County, would help fund programs threatened by the district’s $3.2-million deficit, Wolford said.

“We prefer not to take any funds from any program anywhere. However, if there is an opportunity to make a shift that will affect the entire school district, the school board needs to look at that,” Wolford said.

“We could be facing a district crisis and we have to look at every opportunity we have,” she said.

The transfer of funds would not affect adult education class programming, which serves about 11,000 people, Wolford said.

The adult education reserve fund does not include funds set aside for construction of a new adult education building, officials said. The district hopes to have the facility built by 1996.

In the meantime, administrators plan to use the $450,000 in question to repair the existing facilities, Jones said.

“We plan to use that to provide additional space for the adult education program in the form of portable (classrooms) and to improve facilities,” Jones said.

*

If the school board approves the transfer of funds, there will be no money for those improvements, she said. “We will have to severely restrict expenditures in the 1994-95 school year,” Jones said.

Trustee Diane Collins said the transfer will probably be approved when it comes before the school board for final action in September.

When the subject was discussed in the past, she said, “It looked like something we didn’t want to do but is going to be necessary.”

“We’re in very serious financial trouble right now, and this would be the first time the adult school budget has taken any hit. I think there is a general feeling that we all need to share the pain.”