Board accepts supt.’s cuts

Although Cori Brooks, who teaches food and child development classes at Fountain Valley High School, said she felt “pretty positive” about the district’s handling of the budget, she’s still leery about the future.

“It still feels very up in the air,” she said. “I guess it’s the feeling that we’re doing the best we can and we’re all in this together.”

Jim McElroy, whose son Matt is a junior at Edison High School, cited maintaining strong academics and retaining quality teachers as his main concerns in the face of budget cuts. McElroy had an idea as to why athletics are staying.

“The parents have to pay for everything, from uniforms to busing the kids,” he said. “Sports aren’t really affected.”

These additional cuts would come right after the board was forced to cut $5.3 million for the current year in February, she added. The district has reduced expenditures by $24.1 million over just the past 13 months, compared to reductions totaling $30 million over the past 13 years.

“It’s a tragedy,” said Bonnie Castrey, the board’s president. “It’s going to be very tough and very tight.”

These new measures will become effective July 1.