San Diego Unified School District said it's expecting a $47 million dollar budget deficit for next school year.
One of the main reasons for the shortfall is the chronic underfunding of special education, Superintendent Fabi Bagula said in a video the district published Thursday.
“These services cost us more than $400 million annually, yet we receive only $125 million from state, federal and local sources. The remaining $275 million-plus comes from our general funds,” Bagula said. “This is not sustainable and it's not fair to our children and families.”
Declining enrollment and rising employee costs over the past decade are other reasons the district is facing the funding shortfall, Bagula said.
The district's financial reserves are at 2%, the minimum required by the state, she said.
At Wednesday’s school board meeting, district officials are expected to talk more about what’s causing the deficit.
District leaders are actively looking for ways to close the budget gap long term, Bagula said.
“We will continue to prioritize student wellbeing, math and literacy progress, and college- and career-readiness. Any proposal to reduce spending will be evaluated through that lens,” she said.
In March, Bagula said the district plans to share budget reduction strategies in detail.
