Officials Warn of Prop. 223 Cuts

If voters pass Proposition 223, the Fullerton School District may need to cut about $1.9 million, an Orange County Department of Education official warned this week.

The cuts, officials said, would likely hit the district’s $57.4-million budget hard in the following areas: accounting and information services, facility maintenance, human resources and the salaries of top administrators, bus mechanics, custodial supervisors and other nonteaching employees.

The fate of Proposition 223, the so-called 95-5 initiative, will be determined by voters June 2. It attempts to cap overhead--including general administration and supervision of instruction and resources--at 5% of each school district’s budget.

Districts such as Fullerton would be the hardest hit because their budgets are smaller, said Mike Kilbourn, director of special services for the county Department of Education.

Some districts are considering unifying with other small districts as a contingency plan, he said.

Fullerton school board members are expected to pass a resolution this month opposing the initiative. Other school districts, including those in La Habra, Fountain Valley, Buena Park and Westminster, already have opposed the initiative.