Epoch Times - San Francisco Schools Face Massive Budget Cuts

Epoch Times - San Francisco Schools Face Massive Budget Cuts

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has been hit hard with budget cuts that will leave it with a $113 million shortfall, which it will need to bridge in the next two years.

According to a Jan. 20, 2010, letter, Superintendent Carlos A. Garcia informed employees that the projected shortfall for the fiscal year 2011-2012 would be $30 million more than the expected $83 million shortfall originally calculated, due to unforeseen reductions in the Revenue Limits and the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds.

The letter outlines some possible routes of action to bridge the shortfall. Garcia notes increases in class size, which are expected to reduce expenditures by $300,000 to $500,000 for each one-student increase per grade-level as one among other possibilities.

He noted five other ways to reduce costs. Reducing summer school programs is expected to yield $4.6 million in savings through fiscal year 2011-2012. Reducing general transportation, is expected to cut $1.5 million a year. Suspending sabbaticals, which currently cost approximately $2 million per year is another proposed cut. Freezing step & column increases could save $5.8 million a year, and suspending and reducing Advanced Placement preparation are other possible ways of bridging the shortfall.

Superintendent Garcia wrote, “Prior to the release of the governor’s proposed budget, SFUSD staff projected a shortfall through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011-2012 of $83 million in the Unrestricted General Fund (UGF). The governor’s just-released proposed budget includes significantly reduced amounts for the Revenue Limit and State Fiscal Stabilization Funds. Staff now projects a UGF shortfall through FY 2011-2012 of $113 million.”