L.A. Unified May Have to Cut Budget by $133 Million

In response to California’s proposed budget cuts, Los Angeles Unified School District officials warned the school board Tuesday that it should expect to reduce this year’s budget by $133 million.

At a board meeting, Los Angeles Unified Chief Financial Officer Joseph Zeronian said the district will probably receive $74 million less revenue from the state, if expected cuts are approved in January. The rest of the district’s shortfall stems from higher than expected spending.

As a result of tougher economic times, Gov. Gray Davis has proposed state budget cuts of $2.25 billion from amounts already appropriated for 2001-02.

The expected state cuts include $843.5 million in funding for education programs involving students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The proposed cuts will be voted on in a special legislative session in January.

At Tuesday’s meeting, some board members expressed concern that money may be taken away from students who need it the most, such those who attend low-performing schools. The board plans to discuss specific budget cuts in January.

But Supt. Roy Romer said that he is committed to supporting academic programs in schools, and that the district will act with caution before it makes any decisions on the budget.

“In the past 12 to 17 months, we have really focused direct expenditures on student need,” Romer said, pointing out the effort to improve math scores by hiring more student coaches. “Because we have been so aggressive . . . that is a large part of the reason we’ve been sweating over this budget.”

But Zeronian said it is likely that students and schools will be directly affected by this year’s cuts.

“Ninety-three percent of this budget is in schools, I don’t think this board is in the position to find $133 million outside of schools,” Zeronian said. “School budgets are going to have to be cut.”

Day Higuchi, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, criticized the district’s accounting. “The numbers just don’t add up yet,” he said. “We still have big discrepancies.”

*

Staff writer Doug Smith contributed to this report.