Sacramento City Unified School District trustees approved their worst-case budget scenario for next school year at a board meeting Thursday evening.

Unless a tax extension, advocated by Gov. Jerry Brown, is placed on a June ballot and passed by voters, the school district will cut financial support for such things as sports, band, cheerleading, choir, drama and yearbook.

In addition, Sacramento City Unified will lay off the equivalent of about 355 full-time teachers, principals, counselors and librarians, further increase class sizes, make additional cuts to adult education and slash the salaries of all employees by 5 percent.

"Sports are my life," pleaded Hiram Johnson junior Selena Miranda, who wore a softball uniform dusty from practice earlier in the day. "I wouldn't be on the right track without sports."

Sacramento City Unified is projecting a $22.35 million shortfall if tax increase extensions aren't placed on the June ballot and approved by voters.

The district would save $1.26 million by cutting extracurricular stipends and eliminating funds for uniform replacement, athletic trainers and transportation.

Those cuts would essentially decimate sports programs at schools without well-organized booster clubs. Fundraising efforts could save some programs and clubs.

Last month, the school board approved increasing class sizes in fourth through 12th grades. In fourth through sixth grades, class sizes were increased from 33 to 34 students. In seventh and eighth grades, class sizes were increased from 31 to 36 students. In ninth through 12th grades, class sizes were increased from 35 to 40.

On Thursday, the board voted to increase class sizes in two grade levels between kindergarten and third grades from 25 to 29.

These increases require negotiations with the district's teachers union.

School district trustees began Thursday's meeting having already made $14.5 million in cuts in February. Besides increasing class sizes, the district eliminated school transportation, except for special education students and students in the Program Improvement School Choice program.

Adult education was cut by $2 million in February and by an additional $1 million Thursday. In all, trustees voted to make $28.13 million in cuts, believing even their "worst-case" scenario may have been too rosy.

"This is gut-wrenching," said Superintendent Jonathan Raymond. "We need to get this tax passed. This is real and it's serious. We will fight to get this on the ballot and get it passed."

EDUCATION"This is gut- wrenching. We need to get this tax passed. This is real and it's serious. We will fight to get this on the ballot and get it passed."

SUPERINTENDENT JONATHAN RAYMOND

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. Follow her on Twitter @MelodyGutierrez.

• Read more articles by Melody Gutierrez