SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – The San Francisco Unified School Board is working on a final plan to close a $125-million budget gap in order to avoid a state takeover.
Millions of dollars in cuts to student programs and hundreds of jobs could be eliminated as part of a proposal.
According to the state of California, the district’s problem is very simple. There are simply not enough students in SFUSD schools but the district is still spending at high levels.
That has created a huge deficit.
Here’s how the district will fill the $125-million:
- $90-million would come in direct cuts
- $60-million would directly impact student services, including school budgets
- $30-milion would be cut from central services that would include technology, transportation, custodial services, and from the administrative offices, which would be managers and clerical staff members
- $35-million from grants and priors savings would make up the rest.
The plan also calls for more than 400-jobs eliminated between the school and central office.
Elliott Duchon, a former superintendent and state-appointed financial expert, says there’s simply no way around it.
He recommended the district offer early retirement plans to longtime workers, freeze hiring for non-essential positions and freeze spending for non-essential services.
There’s a list of student services that would be on the chopping block. The district says they would save $10-million dollars alone with these cuts.
There is some good news for the financial health of the district. Last month, the district received more than $123-million in money approved by voters in 2018 for a living wage for teachers.
The board will meet again next Tuesday to finalize that plan, which must be submitted, along with the district’s first draft of next year’s budget to the California Department of Public Education next Wednesday.