More than 30 San Diego school principals are breathing a sigh of relief now that thousands of dollars in federal funding will continue to be funneled into their campuses. KPBS Reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
The San Diego Unified school board voted to protect federal Title I funding at 32 campuses. By doing so, they overturned a previous decision which channeled all the funds to schools with the highest poverty levels.
Title I pays for extra programs targeting disadvantaged students.
The 32 principals who faced losing the money complained their disadvantaged students need extra services just like the rest.
Principal Sarah Sullivan says spreading the money around is the right thing to do.
Sullivan:
All of our students need a tremendous amount of additional support. My colleagues at high poverty schools have my sympathy. But I think I have their sympathy too because they understand that a child can achieve, but the child can only achieve with support.
San Diego Unified’s newest school board member Richard Barrera apologized for initially deciding to strip federal funding from the campuses. He says he didn’t have all the facts.
Barrera:
That was my mistake and I apologize for that. When we've got decisions of this magnitude to be made, that I'm not ready to make, then I'm going to say I've got questions right now and I'm not ready to make that decision. And that's part of my maturation on this board.
A new district plan now bases Title I funding on how many disadvantaged students all schools have.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
