MEDIA ADVISORY from San Diego Unified School District, January 13, 2015
San Diego Unified Outlines Priorities for Proposed 2015-16 Budget: More Money for Schools and Classrooms
What: San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten and President of the Board of Trustees Marne Foster will outline significant components of Governor Brown’s 2015-16 proposed budget and outline how they intend to put the additional funds into the classroom for students.
When: Tuesday, January 13, 2015
1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Eugene Brucker Education Center, 4100 Normal St., (92103)
Speakers include:
San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten
San Diego Unified Board President Marne Foster
Background:
Governor Brown’s proposed 2015-16 budget was released Friday. While there are improvements in K-12 education funding, it is important to acknowledge that California schools are still significantly underfunded. Revised annual state rankings this week from Education Week show California at 46th in the nation on average per-pupil state funding. The Governor has urged fiscal restraint, describing the budget as “precariously balanced.”
Overall, the Governor’s proposed budget increases average per-pupil spending from $9,361 this year to $9,667 for 2015-2016. The budget includes an additional $4 billion investment statewide into the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) which will help eliminate some of the remaining LCFF implementation funding gap. The proposal also includes $1.1 billion for one-time discretionary grants provided to offset outstanding mandates debt owed to local educational agencies.
San Diego Unified did not wait for the Governor’s proposed budget to identify funding priorities, which were developed on strategies outlined with stakeholders and partners in the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and which are in keeping with budget guiding principles that include valuing programs that can show a positive impact on student achievement and directing as much money as possible toward classrooms and schools while living within budgetary means outlined in the district’s three-year budget plan. These funding priorities include:
· Continued reduction of class sizes
· Targeted counseling support
· Improved equity for schools
· Strengthening early learning
· Continued high school transformation
· Improvements to services for English Learners and students with disabilities
· More localized parent and community engagement strategies
The district’s First Interim Financial Report was approved by the Board in December. A budget update, incorporating the Governor’s proposal, is scheduled to be provided to the Board on January 20. Site-based budget workbooks are scheduled to be released to the schools in late January.
Budget Process Timeline:
Step Task Date
1 Monthly LCAP Presentations, Community & Advisory Group Engagement September 2014 – June 2015
2 Board Approval of First Interim Report- BOARD ACTION December 9, 2014
3 Vision 2020/LCAP Planning (Finalize priorities with LCAP Planning Team) December 2014 - January 2015
4 Governor’s Proposed Budget Released January 9, 2015
5 Superintendent Report on 2015/16 Budget Solutions Adjustments January 20, 2015
6 Release of site-based Budget Workbooks February 2015
7 Board Approval of 2nd Interim Report- BOARD ACTION March 15, 2015
8 Board Approval of 3rd Interim Report- BOARD ACTION May 15, 2015
9 Board Adoption of 2014/15 Budget and LCAP-BOARD ACTION June 30, 2015
CONTACT
Ursula Kroemer
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
760-705-6919 (cell)
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