SANTA ANA : Extra Cash May Fund Increased Class Time

Children in the city’s intermediate schools might have an additional 45 minutes of daily class time this term.

Santa Ana Unified School District trustees learned at Tuesday’s meeting that an unanticipated reserve of more than $8 million means that they can afford to reinstate seventh-period classes at the intermediate schools, which had cut back to six in 1992 to save money.

Trustees said they were not sure if the district can hire the employees it would need, however, in time to reinstate the seventh period immediately.

State money for pupil attendance, interest on investments and lower-than-expected health care costs gave the district more than $8.7 million in reserves, according to a staff report to the school board.

The trustees unanimously agreed to spend $2 million to reinstate the seventh period. Another $1 million in reserves could go to cover a deficit expected in the operating budget for fiscal 1995-96.