Record L.A. School Budget Unveiled

Los Angeles Unified School District administrators unveiled a $6.3-billion budget Monday for next school year that will provide a 2% pay hike for district employees and more money for textbooks.

But even as administrators presented the largest spending plan in district history, they warned that the system still faces budgetary constraints.

L.A. Unified, which relies largely on state funding, is required to devote nearly all its money to specific services. As a result, only 10% of the budget is available for an array of discretionary--but costly--items, from arts education to teacher training.

“The governor has earmarked virtually every dollar for specific programs. This is a major concern for us,” Supt. Ruben Zacarias told the Board of Education. “Let the local districts decide” how to spend money.

As they introduced the budget, Zacarias and other administrators appealed for Gov. Pete Wilson to cut loose a portion of an estimated $4-billion state surplus for schools.

Wilson already has called for spending $170 million on the state’s public universities next year. Later this week, he is expected to issue a revised budget proposal, a plan Los Angeles school administrators hope will include a windfall for local campuses.

“Even though there isn’t a legal obligation, there is a moral obligation to return California to the levels of the 1960s, when the state was fifth in per-pupil spending,” said district Chief Financial Officer Henry Jones. “Today California is 37th in per-pupil spending.”

This year’s budget is 7% larger than last year’s $5.9 billion spending plan.

The district is counting once again on revenues from the sale of Proposition BB bonds, with at least $306 million projected this year. Last year, the district received $356 million in BB bond proceeds, which are earmarked for school repair and construction.

The district also will receive a 4% increase in state funding to reduce class sizes to 20 students per teacher in kindergarten through grade three. The district will receive $818 for every student in a reduced class, up from $800 last year. Even with the extra money, the district will have to spend an additional $24 million on the program this year.

In addition, the district will get a 2.2% cost of living increase--or $49 million--from the state to pay various general fund expenses, including salaries.

The district will spend its money on a variety of key items:

* The 2% pay increase for the district’s 65,000 employees. With the raise, salaries will have grown 8% over the last two years. The increase is part of a 10% hike over three years that will culminate with another 2% raise in the 1999-2000 school year, administrators said.

* Nearly $4.5 million for additional library books, aides and librarians.

* Some $5 million to start a reserve fund to pay for school furniture.

* Nearly $38 million will go toward hiring teachers, administrators and other staff to accommodate an ongoing surge in student enrollment. The district is expected to grow by 9,967 students to a record total of 691,472.

* At least $24 million on textbooks, including an estimated $1.6 million in lottery money and $4.5 million in a special allocation proposed by Zacarias.

That allocation is among $34.5 million Zacarias wants to spend to staff programs that were paid for last year but need money to continue.

Those programs include a $1-million book replacement loan fund, $5.7 million for clerical staff working on special education and class-size reduction, and $3.75 million to continue an after-school program that had previously been funded by the city of Los Angeles.

The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt the budget next Monday. After Wilson signs a new state budget June 30, district administrators will revamp their spending blueprint.