FALLBROOK - The Fallbrook Union High School District governing board voted 4-1 Monday night to stop receiving stipends and benefits common to publicly elected school boards, after a lengthy discussion during its last meeting about upcoming budget woes.

The move, which was opposed by board member Lynn Colburn, will save the district about $70,000 a year as it struggles to cover a projected $1.5 million shortfall.

Until now, school board members have received $240 a month, plus free health insurance, for serving on the board.

Monday night's vote was made with little discussion, but during a Feb. 25 meeting, several board members said they could not justify continuing to receive the stipend and benefits while considering layoffs of seven teachers and five classified personnel.

"It would be hard for me to take (the benefits), knowing somebody is losing their job," board member Dennis Allen said during that meeting. "Basically, I think it's just the right thing to do."

School board member Mike Schulte said during the same meeting that giving up his stipend and benefits was not a difficult decision.

"I didn't take this position for the benefits, so I'm certainly willing to forgo" the coverage provided to board members, he said.

Officials said they expect the 3,000-student school district to receive about $27.9 million in revenue to cover about $29.4 million in costs during the fiscal year that starts July 1, leaving a $1.5 million gap that will be filled through a combination of layoffs, other staff reductions and nonpersonnel cuts.

The board also voted in closed session Monday night to lay off a district administrator but did not reveal who it would be.

Also during Monday's meeting, the board delayed a vote on the instructional calendar for the school year starting in August - an issue that has drawn heated input from parents claiming an early start would be an unnecessary inconvenience.

At issue is whether Fallbrook High School students will head back to class on Aug. 18 or Aug. 25 following summer vacation.

Both of the high school's "feeder" districts in Fallbrook and Bonsall - so called because they "feed" students into the high school - are planning to begin fall classes on Aug. 25.

But if the high school district starts a week earlier, families with children in high school and elementary school will be forced to juggle their schedules, and possibly do without the baby-sitting older siblings often provide in the summer, parents said.

"It seems like there's a great number of incoming high school students who actually watch their brothers and sisters in the summer, when their parents are at work," said Carol Hayward, a Fallbrook parent of an incoming Fallbrook High School freshman. "I think it definitely would impact a great number of parents in this district."

The district is considering the Aug. 18 start date because testing schedules in early 2009 would leave little time to prepare for key standardized tests if winter recess is pushed back a week due to a later first day of school, said Principal Rod King.

According to the calendar that shows school starting on Aug. 25, teachers would have only one school day - a Monday - to prepare students for the first day of standardized testing, which falls on a Tuesday.

Officials said how well students perform on those tests has huge ramifications for the school district, from boosting its statewide ranking to inviting scrutiny from the federal government if scores fall below a certain mark.

"I have a concern about that testing window, when we come back after break," King said, adding that he's not sure how much of an impact the school calendar has on student performance.

"Whenever we start, we'll get the job done, as far as testing goes," he said.

Meanwhile, interim Superintendent Bob French recommended the later start date, in order to align the high school's calendar with those of the Bonsall and Fallbrook elementary school districts.

The board is scheduled to decide the issue at its April 14 meeting.

- Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.