The Santa Barbara School District’s Administration Center was nearly filled to capacity for Tuesday night’s school board meeting as students, parents and other community members fought to prevent Santa Barbara High School from losing band director Charlie Ortega in a proposed involuntary transfer.

One Santa Barbara High School student was moved to tears as he stood at the podium and spoke to the board members.

“I can’t imagine school without Mr. Ortega,” he said.

Ortega will be replaced by Jane Addabbo-Roberts, a San Marcos High School teacher who some believe doesn’t have the teaching experience needed for a high school music program.

Eric Heidner, SBCC’s band director and Ortega’s predecessor, expressed his concern for the future of the high school’s music program.

“Her teaching experience is at the junior high level. Teaching at a junior high and teaching at a high school is like apples and oranges,” Heidner said. “It would be a great frustration to Roberts, as well as the students.”

If the school board voted to approve the personnel actions before it on Tuesday, the involuntary transfer also would be approved — in other words, either Ortega’s displacement would be canceled, or about 111 school personnel would not find out whether they are out of a job.

With a 4-1 vote, the school board decided on a revised plan of action. The personnel reductions were approved, with the exception of Roberts’ involuntary transfer, of which the decision has been postponed. Teachers and staff unsure of the fate of their jobs will be notified either way in the next few days — except for music teachers or part-time teachers who don’t require full teaching credentials to teach their classes.

Also on Tuesday, the school board adopted its 2011-12 fiscal year budget. Unification of the districts, creating the Santa Barbara Unified School District, is expected to generate $6 million in annual revenue. 

Board members said they comfortable with their previous negotiation with the teachers union for up to 10 furlough days if necessary, depending on the outcome of a state budget.

A shorter school year remains an option to maintain the budget in case of more cuts, and the board began debating when days of school could be eliminated without interruption to students.

Board member Eric Smith expressed confidence in the proposed budget, which he says could potentially move toward growth revenue in the future — something the districts haven’t had in years.

— Noozhawk intern Sarah Webb can be reached at swebb@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.