Schools’ Shortfall Inspires Parents

Parents in two large Orange County school districts that are facing drastic budget cuts are being asked to erase some of the shortfall by either reaching into their wallets or by making sure their kids show up in class.

In Irvine, a massive e-mail campaign started by a group of parents in January is asking for $100 for each of the district’s 24,000 students to help make up for some of the more than $5 million in recent cuts.

A similar fund-raising effort in the Saddleback Valley Unified schools is seeking $50 from each district family in the wake of $8million in cuts that eliminated 186 nonteaching jobs and popular music and science programs.

In addition, Saddleback administrators have mailed letters to parents, making them aware that student absences--even excused ones--cost the district millions in state funding.

The separate pleas illustrate the scramble for dollars that’s going on in school districts across California, as tight budgets lead to program cuts and layoffs.

“I’ve been in the education business 36 years. When I started teaching, it never would have crossed my mind that I would be sending out such a letter,” said Jack Clement, principal of Saddleback’s El Toro High School.

“But we live in a different era.”

Last year, absenteeism cost the Saddleback district $6.1 million in state money.

Each time a student is absent from El Toro, for instance, it costs the school $36.40.

Last fall, El Toro had a robust 96% attendance rate, yet lost $191,771 from the state.

“That last 4% is very crucial nowadays,” Clement said.

The Irvine Unified School District last month closed an elementary school, cut science, art and music programs and increased some class sizes to balance its budget.

Teacher layoffs may come next.

Those cuts--particularly the elimination of smaller classes in kindergarten and second and third grades--spurred a group of parents to begin yet another Irvine schools fund-raising drive.

“There was a groundswell by some folks, a groundswell of support by people who wanted to do something,” said Tim Shaw, executive director of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, who will accept the funds and distribute them in a grant.

“These are just parents and concerned people in the community who don’t want to see the level of education in Irvine damaged.

“They’ve mobilized, and they have a lot of energy.”

So far, Shaw said the foundation has taken in more than $12,000--including $7,000 from one PTA at a district Montessori school.

An additional $10,000 has been collected through the fund-raiser’s initial wave of e-mails, said Lita Robinow, an organizer of the fund-raiser. Next week, a postal mailing of 6,000 letters should bring in more contributions, she said.

“I think $2.4 million is a long way away,” Robinow said.

“But if the public sees that there’s a lot of support, then it will draw more support....

“People are horrified with what has happened because of these cuts. We’ve been working every second on this. It’s only just begun.”