Teachers and other employees of the San Diego Unified School District are watching Gov. Brown very closely. If the state budget passes on Wednesday, it means some of them can keep their job.
The district passed a $1 billion budget Tuesday night, that calls for even more lay-offs; another 800 teaching jobs are at risk along with 600 other positions.
If lawmakers in Sacramento end up passing this state budget, the district will likely rehire about half the teachers it laid off. The problem is that money could go away again mid-year leaving the district in a huge bind. Forcing educators are keeping one eye on the classroom and one on Sacramento.
"What the state is saying is we would get the 36 million, however if come January their revenue projections aren't materializing, it's possible they could come back to districts in the middle of the year and say you need to make additional cuts," said Richard Barrera, SDUSD board president.
California's budget plan counts on a larger increase in income tax revenue from a recovering economy.
If the projections fall short, it will trigger a mid year crisis.
"I don't think these projections are even cautiously optimistic. I think they're ridiculously fallacious, and just not going to happen. There needs to be several billion dollars, and that's a rosy economy, and we haven't seen that yet," said political consultant John Dadian
But without the money teachers in K through 3rd grade won't be rehired at schools like Central Elementary. The principal says an increase in class size from 17 to 30 would be devastating.
"They're worried about midyear cuts, why can't we do what's right now across the district," said Cindy Marten, principal of Central Elementary
"So do we put kids at risk or put the solvency of the district at risk," Barrera said. "That's the choice we're always up against."
Tuesday's school budget deal did include some other definite cuts, including cuts in transportation, which would affect the magnet programs, cuts to visits to Balboa Park and Mount Palomar, as well as cuts to the gifted program.
