BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Junior varsity sports are safe in Kern County for at least another year.

The Kern High School Board of Trustees voted Thursday to delay any sports cuts for a year. But, the following year sports funding cuts and more job losses are on the horizon.

The cuts to junior varsity sports were proposed last month as a way to save $430,000 a year. That idea didn't go over well with many parents and school staff.

"If JV cuts happen, it is a fact that less kids will play, therefore having a downward spiral effect," parent Ashley Reyes told the board during the meeting. "Kids will quit the team, having time on their hands to do nothing worthwhile."

Some from the audience argued the cuts to JV sports would come too fast, and teams and schools need time to plan for that. Others said schools should have time to try paying for the programs with ideas like fund-raising.

Board member Ken Mettler proposed pushing back sports cuts to the 2010-2011 school year, and the board approved that. Board President Joel Heinrichs said that gives schools and boosters time to prepare.

"It may be a combination of fund-raising or cuts, it doesn't have to be JV, it may be some kind of reconfiguration," Heinrichs said. "But they get to know going in that the money is coming out next year, and they've got six months to figure it."

Like other districts, the Kern High School District needs to make cuts as a result of the state's budget crisis. It had previously given layoff notices to teachers and staff, and it trimmed an additional $3.3 million dollars off this year's budget during Thursday's meeting.

"Today we reduced our '09 - '10 starting budget another $3.5 million approximately," Heinrichs told Eyewitness News. "That's on top of $20 million in cuts during the middle of the year."

But, classified staff members were at the meeting in full force arguing they should not take the brunt of future job cuts.

"It's time for the administrators to do their part as well and step up, and take one for the team," argued Penny Johnson -- wearing a shirt with "security" on the back. "It's unethical and immoral for classified to continue to take the fall for the team."

Mettler also agreed with that, saying future job cuts should be top to bottom. "It's never easy, but it has to be share the pain."

But that pain will be deeper than first proposed. The original plan called for cuts of $3 million in "personnel expenses" for the 2010-'11 school year. Thursday, Mettler proposed making that cut $3.75 million in order to help reach the total budget reductions target over three-years.

Heinrichs said that will mean some hard choices. "It could be jobs or it could be salaries, or it could be a combination," he told Eyewitness News.

The plan approved Thursday also calls for cutting funds to summer school, but only by $1 million. The original proposal was for a $3.5 million reduction.

Next the board waits for final details on how many jobs will be cut from Thursday's round of budget decisions. After that, they still have to see what impacts are ahead from the State's budget crisis.

But, district workers who left Thursday's meeting were satisfied with what the board did. Andrea Juarez accepted their actions. "For now, as long as the cuts in the administration are going to start from the top and trickle their way down, as it should be -- I think most of us are happy with that."