District cuts reading coaches to handle budget

Newport-Mesa Unified School District expects to have to cut $10 million from its budget this year with about $3 million of that coming from programs and services such as special education and reading programs, officials said Tuesday.

“We have prepared for all of this,” Deputy Supt. Paul Reed said in a study session before the board meeting. “But adjustments are necessary.”

While there has been a decline in property growth and the expected budget from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to have a lot less money than prior years, Reed said, Newport-Mesa will be able to balance its budget with minimal cuts in comparison to other districts.

Among the cuts will be reading coaches from Killybrooke, Davis, College Park and Pomona elementary schools, cuts in equipment and personnel support costs for the Ed Tech program, and the return of Santa Ana Unified School District deaf and hard of hearing students who were enrolled in programs at Newport-Mesa, Reed said.

The district expects to be able to provide the 5.5% salary increase for employees, as well as an increase in benefits and cost-of-living adjustments as planned, Reed said.

In other news, a group of parents whose children are cheerleaders at Corona del Mar High School filed a complaint against the cheerleading program’s booster club this week. Parents asked board members and the school district to investigate why more than half cheerleading team’s tournaments were canceled and why they have not been allowed to view the booster club’s financial reports.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.