How about a bigger slice of the pie?

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- When the community was invited to either speak up

about the school district’s budget or hold their peace for a year, it was

a pair of 12-year-old students who stood up.

Ryan Pawell, a seventh-grade student at Corona del Mar High School,

and Tom Money, a seventh-grader at TeWinkle Middle School, each had a

complaint about the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s spending plan.

“The Corona del Mar journalism budget is $500,” Ryan told the board.

“I was wondering if we could have just a little bit more.”

Although his beguiling charm worked wonders on trustees, Ryan was not

certain just how much more the program might need.

All Ryan remembered was that when his sister was on the school’s

yearbook staff last year, she spent most of her time raising funds, he

said.

After promising to work with Ryan and Corona del Mar principal Don

Martin, Supt. Robert Barbot asked the youngster to work out a budget

proposal for the program.

“I’m going to ask my teacher what we would need, write it up and come

back next week,” said the persistent Ryan, who added that he was certain

he would get more money for the program.

With one young community member satisfied, the board then heard from

another dissatisfied customer.

As a TeWinkle band student, Tom was appalled when he noticed the

budget’s contribution to music programs throughout the district. He noted

that Corona del Mar had been allotted $1,000 and that Costa Mesa High

School would receive more than $2,000, yet there was no money available

for the music program at TeWinkle.

“It’s unacceptable,” Tom declared.

After bringing to his attention that those music programs served

grades seven through 12 and not just middle schools, board members

informed Tom that a $100,000 music grant from UNICEF was on its way to

several Newport-Mesa schools.

That bit of good fortune, however, will not deter Tom from preparing a

budget proposal seeking further funding. He will present his plan to the

board next week.

After dousing the community fires, the board continued to study the

proposed budget at a special meeting Thursday night.

FYI

Residents will have another opportunity to comment on the district

budget at 7 p.m. Tuesday during the regularly scheduled board meeting.