EGUSD placed on state’s fiscal “warning” list
By Cameron Macdonald - Citizen News Editor
The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) is among 126 districts across California that may not meet its future financial obligations, the state announced on March 22.
Every year, the state’s education department releases an “early warning” list of school districts that are projected to experience possible financial shortfalls within the next three years.
There has been a 17 percent increase in districts on this list, according to the state education department. These additions come at a time when California is facing a $21 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year.
Elk Grove Unified made the warning list last year when they had a projected $25 million shortfall. The district now anticipates a $60.5 million shortfall and issued potential layoff notices to more than 1,000 employees this spring.
More than 23,000 teachers and other certificated school employees also received similar notices across the state, according to the state education department. Around 16,000 teachers were laid off last year.
EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd pointed at the state’s continued “draconian” cuts in education funding for public schools in the past two years, totaling $17 billion.
“It is going to take a toll and have a significant negative impact on the financing of the schools, and that’s what happened to us,” he said.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell also criticized the education cuts in
Every year, the state’s education department releases an “early warning” list of school districts that are projected to experience possible financial shortfalls within the next three years.
There has been a 17 percent increase in districts on this list, according to the state education department. These additions come at a time when California is facing a $21 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year.
Elk Grove Unified made the warning list last year when they had a projected $25 million shortfall. The district now anticipates a $60.5 million shortfall and issued potential layoff notices to more than 1,000 employees this spring.
More than 23,000 teachers and other certificated school employees also received similar notices across the state, according to the state education department. Around 16,000 teachers were laid off last year.
EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd pointed at the state’s continued “draconian” cuts in education funding for public schools in the past two years, totaling $17 billion.
“It is going to take a toll and have a significant negative impact on the financing of the schools, and that’s what happened to us,” he said.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell also criticized the education cuts in