Irvine Schools Hear Pleas to Save Programs

An overflow crowd of nearly 300 people Tuesday night made emotional appeals to save programs as the Irvine Unified School District Board of Education studied a long list of proposed cutbacks aimed at dealing with its financial crisis.

The extraordinary meeting, which veteran educators described as the largest community turnout in memory, attracted teachers, principals, students and parents, some carrying placards with such slogans as “Save the Arts” and “Music for a Sound Education.”

“You see the school district disintegrating right in front of you,” said parent Teresa Anguizola, who bought a home in Irvine because of the district’s reputation and now worries about her children’s educational future.

School board members sought to assure the apprehensive audience that they were unwilling to support the most drastic of the proposed cuts, such as closing two schools, increasing class sizes and eliminating all high school sports.

But the board did identify $3 million in potential cuts that it will discuss further and possibly approve at its Feb. 15 meeting. The cuts could result in the elimination of 120 teaching jobs and would include consolidating summer school programs, reducing the number of instructional aides and librarians, and trimming administrative cost by 10% to 30%.

“Tonight, what this board has to do is prepare for the worst,” said Dean Waldfogel, acting district superintendent.

Officials said the 21,500-student district stands to lose as much as $10 million, or 10% of its operating budget, under a payout plan the county Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday for schools, cities and other investors in the collapsed county investment pool. Irvine Unified has $105 million frozen in the investment pool, the most of any Orange County school system.

District administrators presented school board members with three plans that would trim district expenses by $2 million, $4 million or $6 million.

School board members spoke out against some proposed cuts, including cutting staff at libraries and reducing the length of the elementary school day. Parents said they opposed reducing science and fine arts programs and eliminating “elective” classes.

The meeting was packed with people offering different examples about how the cutbacks would affect them.

Hamid Sedehi, a girls’ soccer coach at Irvine High School, said he will probably lose his job if the school board makes cuts in athletics.

“I feel bad because a lot of people are going to lose their jobs,” he said, watching the proceedings on a big-screen television in a crowded room. “It’s unfortunate that this had to happen because of bad management by the county.”

University High School sophomore David Youssef, 16, said he fears that massive cuts could affect his future. “I’m basically afraid of students losing their ability to get into good universities” if academic programs and extracurricular activities are eliminated, he said.

The proposed cuts were first outlined in a questionnaire distributed to residents and district employees last month. More than 1,200 community members and 2,000 employees completed the survey. Results were released Tuesday night.

The survey found strong support for reducing the number of administrators in the district. Of the residents surveyed, 78% said the district should consider trimming administrative expenses. The school district estimates a $34,000 saving for each full-time administrative job eliminated.

Both residents and employees expressed support for reducing travel and conference costs. District officials said travel expenses are usually generated by senior-level administrators and teachers involved in public education, legislation and lobbying.

The survey found decidedly less support for more drastic cuts, such as closing schools, laying off teachers and increasing class sizes. About 77% of the residents said the district should not pursue, or pursue only as a last resort, cuts in math, science, arts and textbook funding.

The survey found far less support for enacting a temporary parcel tax to get the district through the crisis, but nearly half the residents--49%--said the idea should be pursued. About 65% of residents expressed support for leasing or selling some district property to raise money.

The prospect of selling property and cutting programs is a new experience for the district, long considered one of the most innovative and respected school systems in the state.

The district boasts of some of the highest standardized test scores in the county. It pioneered so many programs that it published a listing of them for sale to other districts.

* PROGRAMS CANCELED: Cash-short O.C. school districts will cut intersession classes. A8

* BIGGER VOICE ASKED: Individual bondholders want to join creditors committee. D1