LOS ALAMITOS : Trustees Lay Off Workers, Cut Hours

Anticipating lower revenues for the 1993-94 school year, trustees at the Los Alamitos Unified School District decided Monday to lay off nine full-time and 11 part-time employees.

The hours of one full-time employee also were cut in half.

The layoffs, which will take effect July 1, would result in saving more than $500,000 and help balance the school district’s tentative $32.2-million budget for the school year, according to district business manager Ronald Murrey.

No teacher was affected by the layoffs, said David Hatton, assistant superintendent of personnel. He said some of the layoff notices may be sent today.

“We have an idea what positions will be affected, but we don’t know right now every person who will be laid off,” Hatton said Monday.

“Each one is a person,” said Jeanne S. Flint, a trustee. “I’d like to know who they are. So if I meet them at a supermarket, I can tell them how sorry we are.”

District officials said the layoffs are necessary because the district is likely to get less money from the state grants next school year than for the current school year. The exact figure will not be known until the state adopts its budget, they said.

In a budget presentation to the school board Monday, Murrey said officials are projecting state grant cuts of more than $300,000 for 1993-94 and about $50,000 less in federal money.

Even though enrollment is expected to increase, Murrey said income for the 1993-94 school year is projected at $30,864,306 compared to $31,339,703 for the current school year.

To make up for the shortfall, he said, expenses would be cut by about $1.7 million from the current school year. Clerical workers, custodians and instructional assistants will be hit the hardest.

Of the 10 full-time positions cut, four are night custodians and three are account clerks. A communications services supervisor’s hours were cut from 40 to 20 per week.

The majority of the part-time employees laid off were teacher’s aides.