BUDGETS ON A BUDGET SCHOOL BOARDS LEFT UNABLE TO PLAN.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - With the state Legislature four weeks late in passing a new budget, local school districts are becoming increasingly anxious - particularly those with schools on year-round schedules.

The fear is funding will be cut, which could affect programs and staffing months after the schools passed their own budgets.

``We'd like the budget done,'' said Robert Nolet, superintendent of the Sulphur Springs School District in Canyon Country. ``It's weeks beyond the deadline for the state to pass the budget, and that becomes more and more problematic because we're hiring and doing a lot of things dependent on passing a budget as close to our May revision as possible.''

Three of the schools in the elementary district are on year-round schedules, so changes to the budget would be made while the school year is in session.

``If there are any significant surprises, there are some concerns that we'll have to make last-minute adjustments,'' Nolet said.

School districts have to factor in changes in staffing and money by making revenue assumptions from the state, since they must adopt their 2002-03 budgets by the June 30 deadline - before final revenue figures are available from the state.

If the state budget is markedly different from what districts have anticipated, districts will have to scramble to reorganize their budgets depending on where the state made cuts.

``We adopted our budget on certain assumptions given by the state,'' said Newhall School District Superintendent Marc Winger. ``If our assumptions are in the ballpark, there's not much effect at all.''

School officials cannot say what types of changes they would have to make until they see the state's final budget.

Anticipating the battle at the state level, the Newhall school board budgeted conservatively, Winger said.

``Actually, there might be income we haven't budgeted,'' Winger said.

To further protect itself, the district planned no expansions, staffed tightly and maintained a reserve.

``If we take a hit,'' he said, ``the reserve will decrease.''

But having the reserve as a buffer is not much consolation to district officials because that money will be used next year when two new schools open.

``We're trying to maintain the reserve as much as possible,'' Winger said. ``Any reduction in the reserve would be painful for us. It would limit our abilities out there one year from now when we have to open those schools. So the goal is to hang on to this reserve as much as possible.''

In its 2002-03 budget, the William S. Hart Union High School District board accounted for cost increases in staffing and collective bargaining agreements, made some assumptions on utilities, but left other costs at last year's levels.

Though Winger acknowledged that dramatic cuts in the budget will affect the district's budget, he does not expect any surprises.

``It's anybody's guess right now,'' Winger said. ``But what the governor and Legislature said in May about protecting education in a bad fiscal environment, I think it's true. I think they're trying to protect education as much as possible.''

Others are less optimistic that what the governor proposed in May is in fact going to remain after the state budget passes.

``I'm not willing to make that gamble,'' said Rory Livingston, director of business and fiscal services for the Hart school district, citing issues like equalization, the drop in the stock market last week, taxes and exterior financial indicators that he feels legislators will have to address.

``I don't think there will be draconian reductions, but there will be little twists and pulls and shifts in the budget that will require us to modify our spending plan,'' Livingston said.

But he expects the significant growth in the district's student population to minimize the impact of any shifts they would have to make. A predicted increase of 975 students will bring about $5 million additional funding to the district.

After the state approves its budget - which was expected to be finalized in July or August, but some feel it's still a few weeks away - the districts have 45 days to redo their budgets and submit them to the boards.

School starts Aug. 19 in the Hart district, and there are several schools in the valley on a year-round schedule.

``This plane has taken off and there's a gas line hanging out of the wing and no one's pumping gas into it,'' Livingston said.