SAN DIEGO'S SCHOOL BOARD CLOSES BUDGET GAP
In a marathon session lasting almost 12 hours, San Diego's school board made substantial progress in closing a $63 million budget gap on Tuesday evening and will look at the budget figures in more detail when it meets again next Tuesday, June 9.
The board took several items of great public interest off its cut list early in the day: the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program and high school Athletics, as well as the Balboa Park, Old Town and Palomar Mountain programs (the Off-Campus Integrated Learning Experience). All three programs will return in 2009-10, although they are being asked, as are all programs, to find areas to reduce expenses.
The budget shortfall was revised to $63 million from last week's estimate of $135 million, as district staff worked over the weekend to ensure accurate figures based on actual expenses for April 2009, taking direction from the Board of Education that the information be as complete as possible.
The following cuts were tentatively approved by the Board. The final approval process requires two readings and must be completed and submitted to the County Office of Education by June 30.
-- Shift Cost of Professional Development From Unrestricted To Title II, $2,500,000
-- Special Education Staff Reductions (53.425 FTE), $2,616,350
-- GATE Program Staff Reductions (1 FTE), $96,262
-- Eliminate 9th Class Size Reduction (47 FTE), $3,941,263
-- Eliminate K-2 Class Size Reduction of 15:1 for 29 schools (includes prep time 105 FTE), $8,120,000
-- Eliminate 8 World Language Teachers, $664,000
-- Increase Gate Seminar Program Teacher Ratio From 23:1 to 25:1 (4 FTE), $330,108
-- Increase Class Size K-3 from 20 to 24 (316 FTE) Planning Time Teachers (24 FTE), $14,577,124
-- Eliminate Grant K-8 Magnet Funds, $198,000
-- Increase Lunch Prices by $0.25 (Increase in Revenue), $625,000
-- Landscaping (reduced by 8 positions, currently vacant), $430,256
-- Increase Minimum Bus Rider Number From 8 to 15, $4,238,000
-- Start schools 15 minutes later, with no school starting before 7:30 a.m.; cost of $366,000
-- Merging Distribution & Warehouse Services (Food Services/Warehouse 18 FTE), $1,100,000
-- Reduce Supplies By 25% at School Sites, $1,500,000
-- Reduce Vice Principals by 30 FTE, $3,360,000
-- Year 2 IDEA, $7,025,000
-- Textbook Adoption and Replacement, $6,500,000
The reductions do not yet total $68 million, however the Board has indicated it will support several changes that staff will discuss with employee unions, principals and others. These budget changes include:
-- School allocations that would fund .5 librarian, .5 library assistant at each HS and Middle School; .5 library assistant at each elementary school.
-- Merging distribution and warehouse services (Food Services/Warehouse, 18 FTE)
-- Reduce Counselors by 28 Positions at Elementary Schools, $2,400,000
The Board is scheduled to meet on June 9, where the 2009-10 spending plan is expected to receive its first reading. A final approval would come at the June 23 meeting, ahead of the June 30 deadline.
Jack Brandais
Media Relations
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
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