Update / Follow-up on the news

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. Trustees granted the raise because teachers have not had substantial raises in four years.

But deciding where to cut its own budget to afford the raise has been difficult, particularly when it comes to making cuts at the Environmental Nature Center.

The garden is one of few spots in Orange County where California’s natural habitats exist. Small but pristine redwood tree forests, coastal sage scrub and a freshwater marsh thrive on the 2.5 acres.

The committee has also recommended the board consider cutting some administrative jobs. And the committee has approved a proposal to raise the teacher-to-student ratios in grades 7 through 12 by one student.