It may just be a matter of time until the big hammer drops.

Until then, the Culver City Unified School District Board of Education is content — painstaking as it still is — to take a slice-and-dice approach to solving the budget woes that are gripping the district.

The latest phase of budget cuts — the third installment for those keeping score — took place during the Tuesday, March 9 board meeting, when the five-member panel voted to eliminate 10 positions, re-classify another and to reduce the funding of one program that will result in anticipated savings of approximately $250,000 for the 2010-11 school year. The heaviest blow came to the Adult School, which saw eight positions go by the wayside.

“My philosophy has always been when times are tough, you cut a little bit from everybody,” said board member Karlo Silbiger. “You can’t cut everything from anything.”

About the Adult School cuts specifically, he added: “I’m not crazy about the cuts here. That said, I’m going to leave it to the principal.”

The idea is for the Adult School programs that are now eliminated from the district’s general fund budget to be reinstated on a “fee-based” basis. In other words, classes that can operate in a self--sufficient manner will again be offered, while those that fall short of the criteria will not.

That’s the good news, as was the fact that the board remained unified in its declaration that it will not cut from certain areas. Three such suggestions — reducing the music program by one teacher, cutting 12 instructional aides and eliminating librarian positions — were unequivocally shot down by the board, following through on its promise from the Feb. 22 board meeting to do just that.

“I’d like to see No. 3 taken off forever. I’d like to see No. 5 taken off forever. I’d like to see No. 7 taken off forever,” said board member Scott Zeidman, referring to the line item numbers for the three aforementioned proposed cuts.

Also salvaged at this point were a reduction in hours for one of the district’s nurse positions and the elimination of a health technician position, while the board voted to continue its discussion of a handful of positions — including 18 instructional aide positions paid for through Title I funding — until its March 23 meeting.

While those moves drew cheers and applause, board president Steven Gourley — who provided the swing vote on the nurse position — made it clear the time for celebration is not at hand.

“There is still an elephant in the room nobody wants to talk about,” said Gourley, referring to ongoing negotiations between the district, the teachers union and the classified employees union regarding furlough days that could save approximately $1 million. “It’s going to depend on dealing with the employees. If I don’t see the cooperation that is needed here, I may need to change my vote.”

The latest proposal offered by the Culver City Federation of Teachers bargaining team centers on what David Mielke, the union president, labeled a “progressive” system — with certified employees having already agreed to take five furlough days pending the district’s administration agreeing to take eight, and allowing members in the classified union to take three.

Mielke also again reiterated at the meeting that his constituents need to see more movement by management in areas such as vacation days, mileage reimbursements and other benefits not offered to certified employees.

“Districts throughout the state are doing this kind of analysis,” Mielke said. “We’ve proposed it, but we haven’t heard anything from the staff.

“There’s been no cuts to management and that has to happen. Otherwise, no matter what we say (the teachers) are going to say ‘No.’”

Should that happen, layoffs could become a very real possibility. By law, the district has until Monday, March 15 to inform teachers whether they are being retained for the 2010-11 school year. Without furlough days, pink slips are likely a given to help get the budget shortfall under control.

Otherwise, a school board sub-committee tasked with budget concerns will be holding a meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the district board room at 4034 Irving Place to listen to public input about which areas to examine for the newest phase of cuts.

“I’m sick of this. I’m tired of this,” said Zeidman, conveying the thoughts of all five board members. “But I don’t see what else we can do.”