BUDGET WARNING CUTS WILL HURT, PRINCIPALS TOLD.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Superintendent Jim Brown warned principals on Wednesday that $10 billion in proposed state budget cuts will have a significant impact on local schools, with larger class sizes likely.

With only Gov. Gray Davis' proposal to go on, Brown said the Glendale Unified School District will begin trimming spending immediately because there likely will be state cuts next year in big-ticket items, such as the class-size reduction program and transportation.

``Of the four major budget reduction cycles that I have been through in my career, this is by far the most serious in terms of the level of reductions that are being imposed midyear and the impact that it will have on teaching and learning,'' Brown said.

The governor's proposal would cut about $7 million - more than 3 percent of the district's $220 million general fund - from the budget already adopted for this fiscal year, which means even deeper cuts are likely next year, Brown said.

``It's very difficult to make midyear cuts in school districts because most of the expenditures have been committed to,'' Brown said. ``In mid- January, we'll know what the next shoe to drop is going to be.''

Kelly King, principal of Columbus Elementary School, attended the meeting with Brown and came out of it fearing the worst for next year.

``There's a high level of stress right now,'' King said. ``When you take away personnel and resources and maintain all the same expectations, it will hurt the instruction and stretch people thin.''

King was specifically referring to expectations about class-size reduction. If there are more than 20 students per teacher, the school does not receive special state funding, Brown said. But the class-size limits force the district to hire more teachers.

``We have 40 to 50 more teachers in the district because of the class-cap limits - because the law is so inflexible on this,'' Brown said.

The budget cuts could force Glendale Unified to ignore the rule and lose the benefits or push for the Legislature to scrap the class-size limits, Brown said.

``It's one thing for the governor to say he supports education. It's another thing to make these cuts and then not change ... expectations of the schools,'' King said.

Brown told principals to make all possible cuts from everyday spending.

``We will only do hiring that is mission-critical. We will curtail all expenditures, including things like travel and conferences. We are asking principals to scrutinize carefully everything they buy. We are looking at any special events and activities that we might be able to go without. We are asking people what recommendations they might have on reducing workload that would help us save money,'' Brown said.

The district might also get the green light to dip into its reserve account, which by state law must remain at a minimum of 3 percent of the overall budget.

Glendale Community College also is looking at significant cutbacks as a result of the state budget crisis.

This year the school has cut 100 courses from its curriculum and is offering special bonuses for higher-salaried staffers to retire, said college President John Davitt.

``This is the worst I've seen it since 1978,'' Davitt said.

The state budget crisis will affect Glendale city programs as well, including probable cuts in library and low-income housing programs, said City Manager Jim Starbird.

``It is just a lose-lose situation. It's tough,'' Starbird said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Fourth-graders Pascual Orozco, left, and Susana Lopez use computers at Columbus Elementary School in Glendale, where Principal Kelly King fears computer purchases will be among budget-cut casualties.

(2) Lisa McCarty's kindergartners in Glendale enjoy individual attention that will dwindle if class sizes are increased.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer