San Ysidro School District voted Thursday night to approve a financial adviser from the San Diego County Office of Education.
It's a rare move but the school district, so badly in need of financial help, accepted the financial advisor in an attempt to protect itself from state intervention.
Lora Duzyk with the County Office of Education made her presentation to the board at Smythe Elementary, explaining the process.
When NBC 7 San Diego first reported this Wednesday, Duzyk said districts all over the California are getting about 20 percent less state money than five years ago.
Many districts have used pay cuts and furlough days to get by, but San Ysidro did something different: It gambled things would get better.
"Other districts were making furlough days and cuts to their teaching staff. We didn't." explains San Ysidro School Board President Jason Wells. "Trying to protect them, hoping things would get better. Well, they didn't get better."
The district is roughly $4 million short for the 2013-2014 budget. So, they need to find a way to cut 13 percent from that budget and 18 percent for each of the following two years.
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Duzyk will give advice and suggestions on how to stick to a plan to cut 13 percent from that budget and 18 percent for each of the following two years.
Wells said he welcomes the help.
If they can't get it done, the district would have to take an emergency loan from the state and go into what's called state receivership. At that point, the state superintendent would take over responsibility.
San Ysidro trustees are hoping it won't come to that.
