SD Schools May Face More Budget Cuts

The state may not be able to give the district money, which could mean more budget cuts

San Diego Unified’s superintendent is sending a message to Sacramento, any mid-year cuts would mean the district could no longer pay its bills.

The board is preparing for the worst this month, as the state revises its revenue projections.  The final number is expected in December. Right now, the school district is combing through every department to find areas that could be cut if Sacramento sends less money in the middle of the 2011-2012 school year.  After five years of cuts, school leaders say that no amount of layoffs or cutbacks could make up for the projected $118 million gap in state funding this year. The state already projects they will send $57 million less to San Diego's largest school system next year.

At Tuesday's work session school employees expressed concern.

"It's a little bit frustrating and there's a little bit of confusion as to what's going to happen, who's going to be next," said Albert Castelo with the California School Employees Association.

San Diego schools have received less money per student every year since 2007.  Hundreds of jobs were just cut or reduced within the district -- making the talk of more job loss a sensitive issue.

"My goal is to have no layoffs next year, none,” board member Kevin Beiser said. “How we accomplish that goal is to work together to save everyone's jobs."

These informational meetings will be happening throughout October.

Final decisions on how much the district needs to cut won't be made until December.

On Tuesday night, the school superintendent will make a public presentation outlining the trouble ahead if mid-year cuts are announced in Sacramento.

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