HUNTINGTON BEACH : High School District to Cut 1995-96 Budget
Despite pleas and protests from teachers and parents, trustees of the Huntington Beach Union High School District voted to cut about $600,000 from 1995-96 school expenses and to seek another $1.1 million reduction in pay or benefits given to employees.
The district’s overall budget for next year is about $78 million. The proposed pay or benefits cuts could only be effective if negotiated with employee unions.
The board’s reduction of $600,000 in spending for next school year includes not filling vacant positions and laying off one non-teaching employee.
Trustees on Tuesday night said they were forced to make the cuts because of continued declining enrollment in the district, which serves Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Westminster. Loss of about $900,000 in interest from the bankrupt county investment pool also figured in the district’s budget problem.
“The bottom line is we have to come to a (budget reduction) number,” board member Bonnie Bruce said.
The board voted on some cuts as individual items rather than as a package. Their vote was unanimous on all items except the one to seek reductions in employee pay or benefits.
The spending reductions brought emotional responses from a packed audience at the meeting.
“A cut in benefits is another stab in the back,” said Bill Morehouse, a teacher at Huntington Beach High School.
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