IRVINE

Irvine Unified board members squeezed every budget dollar available at their Monday meeting in an attempt to save the school district’s arts and science programs. Earlier in the evening, the board voted unanimously to put a $95 parcel tax on the November ballot. If approved by a two-thirds majority of voters, the tax might ease the district’s financial problems. But the board still needs to cut into its money reserves to pay for the coming school year.

Members unanimously approved a tentative $138-million budget for the next year but ordered staff not to draw more than $1.4 million from the district’s reserves. Cuts, however, are inevitable: “It would take $2 million [of reserves] to keep everything in place,” Deputy Supt. Paul Reed told the board. At a meeting last week, he advised members to seek outside funding for arts, music and science programs, increase lunch and transportation prices, and cut the 2-year-old health clerk program.