Newport Beach Ca Schools Finances

Every year, the Corona del Mar Parent-Teacher Assn. sponsors a public tour of glamour homes of Newport Beach, typically raising more than $50,000 for the high school's students and teachers. Across Newport Bay, meanwhile, an annual 5K run--the Costa Mesa High School PTA's primary fund-raiser, raises a fraction of that: $6,000.

Less than 48 hours before classes begin, school board members Tuesday night unanimously approved a $120-million balanced budget for the 1999-2000 school year. Though the district is expected to bring in $118.6 million next year while spending $120 million, Mike Fine, assistant superintendent for business services, assured board members that the budget contains no deficit. "You are absolutely in the black," he said. Last spring, after revealing that the district faced a $4.

Dozens of residents who oppose turning former Eastbluff Elementary School into a community college have proposed instead to convert the site into a child-care center. The alternative, proposed during meetings this week with both the school board and City Council, is being touted by neighbors of the school as a way for Newport-Mesa Unified School District to lease the land and make money from the defunct school site while the neighborhood atmosphere is retained.

The way the school district decides how to spend its money should be revamped so the budget process is clearer to the community and better reflects the district's educational goals, the school district's budget committee said Tuesday.

Less than 48 hours before classes begin, school board members Tuesday night unanimously approved a $120-million balanced budget for the 1999-2000 school year. Though the district is expected to bring in $118.6 million next year while spending $120 million, Mike Fine, assistant superintendent for business services, assured board members that the budget contains no deficit. "You are absolutely in the black," he said. Last spring, after revealing that the district faced a $4.

The Environmental Nature Center may have to put off its expansion plans if the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board cuts its funding of the outdoor classroom in half. The district's citizens budget advisory committee recently decided the school district should cut its $36,000 annual contribution to the center as part of its effort to trim the district's budget. The district needs to cut $3.2 million to pay for a 7% raise for teachers.

More than 600 parents and other community members packed the boys' gymnasium at Corona del Mar High School on Monday night, checkbooks in hand, to kick off a fund-raising drive to pay for improvements to the school, including a 500-seat theater and a technology center. By the end of the night, the Corona del Mar High School Foundation had more than $480,000 in pledges, putting it nearly halfway toward its goal of raising $1 million by the end of summer.

Groups using school properties for athletic and other events will pay more starting in July if the school board approves proposed fee increases tonight. The Newport-Mesa Unified School District has not raised rental fees since 1991, said Carolyn Stocker, executive director of business services. She compared fees to those charged by districts in Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Irvine and found that Newport-Mesa was lower in eight categories. Those are the areas in which fees will increase.

A resident and employee task force reviewing $11.7 million in possible Newport-Mesa Unified School District budget cuts will meet twice this week in an effort to prioritize the 50 items on the list. The panel received the list Thursday night and heard descriptions of each item, from elimination of bus service and across-the-board salary reductions to increasing class size and ending athletic programs.

The state has allocated $928,000 to Newport-Mesa Unified School District for instructional material, maintenance and educational technology. The money was apportioned to school districts and county offices of education through a voter-approved block grant. At today's district board meeting, trustees will seek suggestions from the public on how to spend the money.

Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach has established a foundation to raise money for the school. The goal, according to Principal Tammy Parham, is to create a $1-million endowment to help pay for new programs and improve the infrastructure. "This school is over 40 years old, so we are looking at some big-ticket items such as fixing the plumbing and the electrical system," Parham said.

The Environmental Nature Center may have to put off its expansion plans if the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board cuts its funding of the outdoor classroom in half. The district's citizens budget advisory committee recently decided the school district should cut its $36,000 annual contribution to the center as part of its effort to trim the district's budget. The district needs to cut $3.2 million to pay for a 7% raise for teachers.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District board on Tuesday became the first in Orange County to vote against further reducing the size of some elementary school classes, saying the district lacked the money to pay for more teachers. Not only is the project's expense prohibitive, but board members said they have other budget priorities now, the foremost of which is giving teachers a substantial raise.

More than 100 teacher aides and office aides will be laid off, at least temporarily, so that Newport-Mesa Unified School District can cover the costs of reducing class sizes in primary grades, officials said this week. Under a statewide program, schools that limit first- and second-grade classes to no more than 20 pupils are eligible for a $650 bonus for each of those students. But even with the state funds, Newport-Mesa cannot meet the challenge, officials said.

Despite an appeal from Trustee Wendy Leece, Newport-Mesa Unified School District's board has voted to seek federal funds for a number of school programs. In a lengthy presentation, Leece argued that accepting money from Washington is akin to giving the federal government the keys to your car. Once that happens, she said, the government will become the driving force behind school district policy, subverting local control over academic programs.

Every year, the Corona del Mar Parent-Teacher Assn. sponsors a public tour of glamour homes of Newport Beach, typically raising more than $50,000 for the high school's students and teachers. Across Newport Bay, meanwhile, an annual 5K run--the Costa Mesa High School PTA's primary fund-raiser, raises a fraction of that: $6,000.

Teachers in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District this week recommended cutting nearly $1 million from administrative costs to help balance the district's beleaguered budget. The move would also prevent an administrative plan to cut teachers' salaries by 5%. More than 150 teachers attended the district board meeting. Teachers union President Maya Decker asked the board to consider the suggestions and spare teachers' jobs and pay from cuts.

More than 600 parents and other community members packed the boys' gymnasium at Corona del Mar High School on Monday night, checkbooks in hand, to kick off a fund-raising drive to pay for improvements to the school, including a 500-seat theater and a technology center. By the end of the night, the Corona del Mar High School Foundation had more than $480,000 in pledges, putting it nearly halfway toward its goal of raising $1 million by the end of summer.

The state has allocated $928,000 to Newport-Mesa Unified School District for instructional material, maintenance and educational technology. The money was apportioned to school districts and county offices of education through a voter-approved block grant. At today's district board meeting, trustees will seek suggestions from the public on how to spend the money.