Our school year has just begun and so has the planning for next year.  The Board of Education had an excellent session on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to discuss the prospects of another very difficult budget year, 2010-11.  The next Board Budget Workshop is scheduled for November 20.

The district has cut $180 million from our budget in the last two years but thanks to federal stimulus dollars, early retirements and streamlining our organization, for the most part, our classrooms were protected. For the 2010-11 budget year, the district is facing a budget deficit of approximately $80 to $100 million even before new cuts that are expected from the state. That means the Board of Education will once again be facing extremely difficult choices to balance next year’s budget.

The State of California is continuing to face the impacts of a deep economic recession and tax revenues coming in far below estimates for the current budget year.  Current projections show that the state may be facing another $8-16 billion deficit, which will mean even more severe cuts for public education.  We won’t know the state’s projected budget until January, but San Diego Unified could face an additional $100 million or more in cuts for the next budget year on top of our current projected deficit of nearly $100 million!

In the face of this bleak budget outlook, as Interim Superintendent, I share the strong commitment of the Board of Education to keep budget reductions as far from the classroom as possible. During the coming weeks, our staff will be conducting a complete review our operations and programs to identify a full range of budget reduction alternatives for the Board. The Board will also be considering a targeted freeze on hiring and expenses to help us save as many dollars as possible in the current budget year.

We encourage the public to stay informed about the education budget crisis and to share your concerns.  We are launching a community outreach program to give our school communities and the public access to current budget information and provide opportunities for input. This program will include a series of Town Hall meetings during November and December. We also encourage the public to visit our new Budget Crisis website at http://www.sandi.net/budget to get the latest information and to share ideas and comments on our Budget Blog.

During this difficult period for public education, I want to assure our parents, our staff and the public that we will remain focused on our primary goal, providing quality education for every student on every school day. 

San Diego High Complex students and staff, along with our School Police, get a gold star for their professional and calm work during the recent protest by a religious group, and counter-protestors, along Park Boulevard. The event, just as school was let out on Friday, Oct. 16, was held in the path that many San Diego High students take to the nearby San Diego Trolley station. An estimated 200 counter-protestors were on the front lawn areas of San Diego High and adjacent City College, chanting at the Kansas religious group, which was across Park Boulevard. While some San Diego High students chose to join the protest, others walked quickly and calmly through the protests to the Trolley station. Principals and other staff from San Diego High, along with SDUSD Police officers and community service officers, helped direct traffic and keep the students moving on the sidewalk. SDUSD Police coordinated with San Diego Police on traffic in the area, resulting in an event that allowed everyone's First Amendment Rights to be exercised, and at the same time allowed students to get home on a Friday afternoon. Good job!

Everybody knows that the big, annual PGA golf tournament at Torrey Pines in January shows a nationwide TV audience how beautiful it is in San Diego, but did you know that over the years this tournament has raised thousands of dollars for our schools? This year is no different. Schools and individuals, through our PE, Athletics and Health Department, can get day-pass tickets to sell for $17. Of that, $15 goes to our PE programs and individual schools. For more information, contact the PE/Athletics/Health office at (619) 725-7126.

Speaking of Washington, D.C. our local Congresswoman, Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego), is looking for nominees for the Congressional Page program. Pages help Members on the floor of the House of Representatives and distribute information around the Capitol complex. Only 72 students are chosen from around the country and must be high school juniors, at least 16 and have a GPA of at least 3.0. For more information, see Rep. Davis's web site. Our district's assistant general counsel, Patrick Frost, was a Congressional Page in 1987 and served the committee holding the Iran-Contra Hearings. Call Patrick at (619) 725-5630 or pfrost@sandi.net if you'd like to hear his experiences.