DAY-CARE SCRAMBLE CUTBACK STUNS LAUSD PARENTS.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Working parents who relied on the Los Angeles Unified School District's after-school programs to provide day care for more than 50,000 children are scrambling to come up with other solutions after the district shortened the pickup time from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Some parents at traditional-calender schools received just two days' notice of the change, which began Monday and saved the district $3 million out of a total of $500 million in cuts made earlier this year.

Other parents have been struggling to find options since the hours were cut July 1 at their year-round schools.

The program, called Beyond the Bell Youth Services, allows LAUSD elementary students to play, do crafts, visit friends and finish homework on campus, under adult supervision, until their parents are able to pick them up. The program is free for parents.

``I just have to leave work early,'' said Mirna Ramos, who rushes from her job at an insurance company to pick up her fifth-grader, Frankie, at Canoga Park Elementary School. ``There's nothing you can do. I have to make it happen.''

Ramos is one of many parents who hope the district will make good on its promise to find the $3 million this week to restore the hour. If it can find the money, the program will begin staying open until 6 p.m. immediately, officials said.

``I'm doing everything I can to get this reinstated,'' said John Leichty, associate superintendent in charge of the Beyond the Bell program.

The board rushed to make nearly half a billion dollars in cuts this spring to balance the district's budget. Several items, including extra funding for school police and cuts to elementary summer school, went through with little discussion or publicity.

School board member Jon Lauritzen said the cut to after-school care was one of those that came as a surprise to him. He knew it was being considered at one point, but thought the district had found the funds to keep the program whole.

He said he wished parents, several who have called and e-mailed his office upset, would have received more notice.

``Unfortunately, there again, the process in the district of letting things go to the last minute before they let people know is something we need to work on,'' he said. ``It's just a history we need to overcome.''

District officials said every department had to make tough choices. If the after-school care wasn't shortened, another program may have been entirely eliminated. They hope to shift some federal funds to the program to cover the extra hour immediately.

Mike Dreebin, elementary vice president for United Teachers Los Angeles, said he only found out about the cut last week, when teachers called to complain that they were now being asked to get off campus by 5 p.m. - when the after-school program now closes.

He said he was disappointed by the decision and by the scant notice.

``(Teachers) believe the kids need all the after-school enrichment and care they can get,'' he said. ``They're not saving that much money.''

Pam Worden, principal of Plainview Elementary School in Tujunga, said that in these tough budget times, she understands the decision. She said she did everything she could to make sure parents were informed, including sending a preliminary notice home in June and posting the shortened hours on her school's Web site.

Monday was the first day that the playground closed early, she said.

``I think there was some warning with that,'' she said, adding that only a handful of children typically stayed on her campus until 6 p.m.

Chris Moneypenny, a mother of two Plainview Elementary children, said she was disappointed when the hour was cut.

``It's just not practical,'' said Moneypenny, a single mother and sales representative. ``You can't end a day at 5 p.m. We don't have 'Beam me up Scottie.' ... There's still going to be something, some form of traffic or you have to get gas or something.''

Moneypenny said that despite an all-out effort, she was late picking her two children up on the first day.

``And it's got to be harder for somebody else than me,'' she said.

Lorraine Mariglia, principal of Canoga Park School, said she hasn't heard any complaints from parents since the hours were cut July 1. Parents were notified in June, she said.

But she's sure parents would appreciate the restored hour.

``They're very well-received programs,'' she said of Beyond the Bell's offerings.

Restoring funding is a priority, Lauritzen said.

``We're trying to work that out,'' he said.

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Children frolic on the playground during the after-school program at Plainview Avenue Elementary School in Tujunga on Monday. The program is now one hour shorter.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer