The San Diego school district budget has gone from worse to bad. And it's getting better almost daily.
By as early as next week, the district could restore 100 of the 204 teaching positions that were eliminated when trustees adopted $53.1 million in budget cuts on Friday.
That's a far cry from just three months ago.
In response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed spending cuts to education this year, the San Diego Unified School District braced for an $80 million budget deficit in March and sent pink slips to more than 900 teachers.
Parents and educators responded with outrage and organized a series of protests and rallies. Since then, the state budget picture has improved and the number of San Diego teachers in jeopardy of losing their jobs has declined steadily.
Last week, the school board adopted a $1.2 billion operating budget with $53.1 million in cuts and layoffs to 204 of its newest teachers. But nearly half of the teaching jobs could be restored Monday, the last day of work under the 2007-08 teachers contract.
“We want to hang on to as many of them as we can,” said Jack Brandais, the district's spokesman. “That's what we are trying to do.”
Superintendent Terry Grier said there is $6.9 million available in the budget that could fund as many as 100 teaching jobs. Grier and his staff have been working with principals this week to determine what kind of jobs are needed most throughout the 180 school sites in the district.
Meanwhile, if San Diego Unified receives $8 million more from the state than outlined in the governor's preliminary budget, the district would restore another 100 teaching positions under an initiative offered from trustee John de Beck.
De Beck's proposal calls for restoring up to 200 teaching jobs, but Grier may take care of 100 jobs this week. Unanticipated state funding could also buy new reforms and restore programs cut in the budget.
In restoring teaching positions, San Diego Unified is offering no guarantee that it would rehire the same 200 teachers who were laid off. The district said it is restoring jobs, not people. The positions would be open to anyone who applies.
“In the next 60 to 90 days, we may figure out what the state is doing,” said Bill Kowba, the district's chief financial officer. “But I am concerned about deepening economic problems in the long term.”
Maureen Magee: (619) 293-1369; maureen.magee@uniontrib.com
