School Board Orders 23 More Layoff Notices

Continuing to wrestle with a shrinking budget, the Laguna Beach school board agreed Tuesday night to send layoff notices to 23 more workers, most of them part-time classroom aides.

Previously, the board had tentatively agreed not to rehire for the 1996-97 school year 13 teachers and 37 classified employees, mostly clerical workers and teachers’ aides.

“The teacher impact may change in the next couple days as we work through the tentative budget,” Supt. Paul M. Possemato said Wednesday.

The Laguna Beach Unified School District board’s unanimous decision on layoffs was made in closed session Tuesday night.

The 1996-97 budget, which was $13.4 million for the current school year, will shrink to $11.7 million next year.

District officials blame dwindling property tax reserves, losses incurred in the 1993 firestorm and the county’s bankruptcy among reasons for the crunch. Laguna Beach and Newport-Mesa Unified are the only school districts in Orange County to get property tax revenue, rather than attendance-based state funding.

Also Tuesday, the board held a public workshop to discuss the impact the Newport Coast development will have on this school district. School officials project that 800 of the homes will become part of the Laguna Beach school district.

The development will also be discussed at board meetings Tuesday and June 25. The budget may get final approval from the board on Tuesday.