LAUSD Board to Consider Cuts and Property Tax Measure

 In the face of a $390.2 million budget deficit in the coming school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District board today will consider imposing a series of cuts, including the elimination of adult- education and arts programs, and placing a $298 parcel tax on the November ballot.

"Due to continued and massive budget reductions from the state of California, LAUSD has been forced to reduce staff and programs by $2.3 billion since 2008-09," Superintendent John Deasy said last week when announcing the proposed parcel tax.

"These cuts have had a devastating impact on the capacity of this district to provide a quality education to its more than 919,930 pre- kindergarten to adult students."

In a report to the board recommending the parcel tax -- which would be in place for five years and raise about $255 million annually -- Deasy said the district "is now faced with the most severe fiscal emergency of the post- Proposition 13 era."

The proposed parcel tax, which would need the support of two-thirds of voters, would not solve the district's financial problems, but Deasy said it would provide a locally controlled funding source that would offset some of the more drastic cuts, such as teacher and staff layoffs.

The LAUSD asked voters in 2010 to approve a $100 parcel tax, but it was rejected.

The board last month was considering a package of deep cuts but delayed taking any action, hoping district budget officials would strike deals with various employee unions to eliminate the need for draconian measures, even though cutbacks still would be needed.

The latest list of possible cuts still includes the elimination of most adult-education programs and elementary school arts programs. Severe cuts could also affect cafeteria workers, librarians and the district's highly successful Academic Decathlon program.

The district has already sent layoff, or reduction-in-force, warning notices to 11,713 employees -- a number that district officials said actually represents nearly 6,700 full-time positions since the larger number includes part-time workers and others whose jobs are funded by outside sources, such as the federal government.

"We get budget information from the state every day," Deasy said. "If there are no surprises in the governor's May revise, some RIF notices will be rescinded shortly thereafter. And, I will keep working to restore as many positions as possible."

He noted the district issued 7,302 layoff-warning notices last year but rescinded nearly half of them of them three months later.

Warren Fletcher, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing most LAUSD teachers, called the proposed layoffs a "tragedy."

"LAUSD must stop the insanity of balancing its budget each year on the backs of students and parents," Fletcher said.

Deasy noted Monday that the district's overall budget deficit was $557 million in mid-February but dropped to $390 million thanks to higher-than- expected state revenue, restoration of state transportation funding and lower- than-anticipated benefit costs.