Rob Varela / Star staff Rogelio Zavala washes algae from Rio Mesa High School on Tuesday. Oxnard Union High School District balanced its 2008-09 budget without cutting major maintenance.

Rob Varela / Star staff Oxnard Union High School District officials say they expect to start paving projects at several schools. Channel Islands Roofing worker Rogelio Zavala works on top of the gym at Rio Mesa High School on Tuesday.

This summer, schools badly in need of new paint will go without. Asphalt areas won't be repaved, and other major repairs might be put off for at least a year.

Maintenance money will instead help keep music and art in schools, counselors on campuses and other programs off the chopping block as local districts sign off on 2008-09 budgets this month.

In some cases, "what is painfully needed" will be delayed, said Martin Klauss, assistant superintendent of the Oak Park Unified School District, but it allows educational programs to continue.

Facing a multibillion-dollar deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed cuts to public education, prompting many districts to look at cuts of their own, including layoffs and school closures.

When the governor updated his plan in May, some funding was restored, but he proposed shifting state funding for maintenance to special education. Schwarzenegger also suggested that districts use money set aside for routine and major maintenance projects to fill their budget gaps.

Several districts in Ventura County are doing just that, saving programs and jobs by giving up plumbing, roofing, painting and other projects. Funding could change by the time the state Legislature approves a final budget, but school districts must OK their spending plans by June 30, although they likely will have to update them later.

We have to make a choice'

Oak Park shifted more than $300,000 from maintenance to the general fund, putting off much-needed projects but not jeopardizing health and safety, Klauss said. He expects to have about $150,000 in the maintenance account in the fall, which should cover any emergency repairs that come during the school year.

"It's a tough decision for everyone," Klauss said, but "we have to make a choice for one or the other."

For example, only the most urgent roofing projects will be completed, Klauss said, such as where rain leaked into classrooms this year.

Parents, teachers and students will probably notice a lack of maintenance at many Ventura County schools next school year, but Thousand Oaks parent Justine Fischer said she supports efforts to keep as many educational programs as possible.

Many California districts, including Oak Park and Conejo Valley Unified, have declining enrollment, which further reduces state funding and has made balancing budgets more challenging in recent years.

Conejo Valley expects enrollment to drop by nearly 400 students next school year. It was able to take some proposed cuts off the table, however, by using about $950,000 typically reserved for deferred maintenance.

Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Baarstad said repair crews will still be on campuses this summer, because the district earmarked money for some projects in its 2007-08 budget.

The effects of the funding cuts will come in the fall.

A one-year delay likely won't cause major problems, he said, "but you're still losing the ability to do $2 million in projects."

Other Ventura County districts said they balanced their 2008-09 budgets without cutting major maintenance, including the Oxnard Union High School District, which expects to soon start paving projects at several schools.

"We want to keep our schools in good shape," said Assistant Superintendent Randy Winton, partly because of a crime-prevention program that hinges on keeping facilities well-maintained.

Decision only gets harder'

But Oxnard Union's preliminary 2008-09 budget also doesn't have any wiggle room, he said, and if things change for the worse, the district might have to scale back its plans.

If state finances don't improve, things will be much worse in 2009-10, school officials say.

The Oak Park board was considering placing a bond measure on the November ballot that would help pay for long-needed repairs and renovations. If it passed, it would make a huge difference, Klauss said.

If more money isn't found, the district again might have to choose between programs and maintenance, and "the decision only gets harder and harder," he said.