ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : Schools’ Teacher Layoff Toll Not as Bad as Many Feared

Even as they move to cut costs to deal with losses they suffered in the collapse of the county’s investment pool, most Orange County school districts decided against sending layoff notices to teachers as Wednesday’s deadline passed.

Six of the county’s 27 school districts have forwarded notices to more than 200 temporary teachers and full-time administrators. Several other districts received permission from teachers to delay the mailing of notices until April 15.

School officials stressed that the notices don’t mean that layoffs will occur.

Under state law, permanent teachers and administrators must receive “reduction in force” letters in the spring if there is any possibility that they will be laid off. Temporary teachers usually receive similar notices in June, but the districts decided to send them early as a courtesy.

Some educators expressed surprise at how few notices went out.

“I’m very sorry for all the temporary teachers who were caught in this, but really it’s not as bad as I thought,” said John Smith, training specialist for the California Teachers Assn. “I’m encouraged that it wasn’t that bad.”

The Irvine Unified School District, which faces some of the biggest potential losses among school districts with money in the county’s collapsed investment pool, took the most drastic action, sending notices to 120 temporary teachers. Thirty Irvine administrators also received notices.

The district, which has more than $100 million frozen in the pool, has discussed massive budget reductions.

Still, Steve Garretson, president of the Irvine Teachers Assn., said he’s optimistic that many of the temporary teachers will be rehired.

“The hope is that we will be able to hire these people back by the fall because we will know where the district is financially,” he said.

The Cypress School District has sent notices to 15 temporary teachers that may not be needed next year, Supt. William D. Eller said.

“This is not unusual,” Eller said, noting that the district also sent notices to 12 temporary teachers last year when no bankruptcy or financial emergency was involved.

Twenty-nine temporary teachers at the Westminster School District received notices. School officials said it is common for the district to notify temporary teachers, adding they hope to rehire most or all of them by next fall.

The Magnolia School District in Anaheim notified two music teachers that they might not be rehired for the next academic year.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District plans to eliminate five administrative positions and four school psychologist positions.

Officials at the Capistrano Unified School District intend to send notices to 65 temporary teachers but haven’t decided when the letters will be forwarded.

Times correspondents Bill Billiter, Holly J. Wagner, Russ Loar and Jeff Bean contributed to this report.