Santa Ana School District Panel Lists Potential Cuts in Budgetary Squeeze

SANTA ANA — Facing a potential $9-million deficit for the 1992-93 fiscal year, the Santa Ana Unified School District is considering a committee report suggesting ways to ease fiscal problems.

At a meeting Tuesday, the district’s Board of Education received the list of potential money-saving suggestions from a 45-member volunteer panel composed of staff, faculty and parents. The board will meet again Tuesday to decide which suggestions to follow.

The panel’s suggested: eliminating a $60,000 budget for conferences; laying off 27 counselors and several administrators; mowing lawns less frequently, which would save about $116,000; demanding that Santa Ana pay to help clean up school playgrounds that residents use on weekends, and using an outside cleaning firm instead of 103 district custodians.

District Supt. Rudy M. Castruita said school employees and members of the community are scrambling to find ways to save education funds from the budget ax. Some plans verge on the desperate, he said, noting that one panel member suggested holding rummage sales at schools.

Reflecting on Tuesday’s gloomy meeting, board member Audrey Yamagata-Noji said, “There really is no good news.” The panel’s recommendations would help the board decide where to make cuts, she said, but any reductions would be painful and harm education.

“I can’t argue with any of these cuts,” board member Sal Mendoza said of the recommendations. “I think we’re cutting to the bone.” He also suggested that teachers consider a voluntary pay cut to help the district.

Board member Robert W. Balen agreed. “If it means giving up a little pay to some of your fellow custodians, that is certainly called for,” he said.