Buena Park School District Plans to Use Reserves for Shortfall

BUENA PARK —  Faced with a $150,000 deficit, the Buena Park School District Board of Trustees this week adopted its 1993-94 budget and plans to use reserves to cover the projected shortfall.

Supt. Jack Townsend said the district’s general fund budget for the 1993-94 fiscal year is $18.3 million, while expenditures are an estimated $18.5 million.

In anticipation of the deficit, Townsend said, the district will not fill four teaching positions and a maintenance position--vacated because of a resignation and three retirements--for a savings of about $250,000.

As a result of not filling the four teaching positions, Townsend said, the district’s student-to-teacher ratio will be raised from 28.5 to 30.5 students per classroom.

Townsend also said that $40,000 was cut from schools’ discretionary budgets, which are used to buy school supplies such as pens and paper.

Last year, the district made more than $400,000 in cutbacks in classified employee positions and eliminated after-school activities and field trips. The year before, about $500,000 in reductions were made that included reducing the teaching staff.

“We don’t feel that we have a lot more we can cut,” Townsend said.

Trustees are expected to adopt a final budget for next fiscal year at the Sept. 13 meeting.