Education

SD Schools Won't Use Library Money To Save Teachers

By Ana Tintocalis / Education Reporter

Published March 30, 2011 at 3:00 AM PDT

This story was published more than 13 years ago.

Rendering of the proposed Downtown San Diego Central Library.

Shools Won't Use Downtown Library Money To Save Teachers

San Diego City Schools will not use money earmarked for the city's downtown library to save teaching jobs. The trustees, however, did agree to spare some positions.

San Diego Unified promised the city it would hand over roughly $7 million of its money to help pay for the construction of a downtown main library.

School board president Richard Barrera proposed to shift that money back into the district’s pockets to help save hundreds of 1st grade teaching jobs.

In the end, the trustees deadlocked on the issue and the proposal failed.

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School board trustee Scott Barnett voted against the measure. He said the board should take a cautious approach to using that money.

“This is basically robbing a piggy bank,” Barnett said. “Given the fact there is no tax extension on the June ballot, it is irrational to (adopt the proposal) tonight until we know what our budget is going to be.”

There was a bit of good news -- the board voted to use more than $3 million in added central office savings to help spare some counselors, nurses, and music and arts teachers.