IRVINE : School Board Agrees Cuts, Layoffs Needed

School board members agreed Tuesday night that they must plan for massive cuts in programs and personnel in the Irvine Unified School District within the next 30 days.

In the absence of definitive information about the status of the district’s $105 million frozen in the troubled county pool, school board members said they will be forced to announce potential layoffs at their Feb. 14 meeting.

Although legal notice of potential layoffs is not required until March 15, Deputy Supt. Susan Long told board members the district needs 30 days’ notice. School district administrators who lose their jobs have the right to return to classroom-teaching jobs, and laid-off teachers with seniority can take the jobs of newer teachers. Long said the complex system of “bumping rights” requires planning.

The Irvine school board will consider a broad range of budget cuts at its next meeting on Feb. 7, despite the pleas of parents and teachers Tuesday night.

“I know that many people have said, ‘Let’s not talk about cuts,’ ” school board member Margie Wakeham said. “But if we hit the worst-case scenario, it’s going to be everything. We have to keep all of our options open.”

The school board also agreed to form a citizens budget advisory committee to help the district cope with a potential $30-million loss and study investment policies. The six-member committee will include appointees from each school board member and a representative from the Irvine Teachers Assn. Representatives from the district’s administrative and classified employee groups will serve as observers.

The school board approved locations for the Jan. 30 and 31 public forums on the district’s financial crisis. There will be separate forums on each date from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Irvine, University and Woodbridge high schools.