Orange County school districts are working to lower their financial obligations next year by as much as $158 million, a cost-cutting ax expected to fall largely on employee salaries and benefits after years of class-size increases and program cuts.

Eighteen of the county's 28 school districts have reported needing to rein in costs in 2013-14, even after California voters approved Proposition 30, which guaranteed additional funding for schools. Prop. 30 will hold school funding levels steady, taking off the table even deeper spending cuts Gov. Jerry Brown had previously threatened. (More at OC Register)