Who is in control at Sacramento school district? Damning state audit raises questions
A recently released state audit of Sacramento City Unified School District poses some extremely troubling questions.
The district “has not proactively addressed its financial problems,” says California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle in a letter prefacing the audit.
Who at the district and within the teachers union decided not to act on the information available? Has the board ignored the information available, and why? The problems have been present and public for years, and now the district teeters on the verge of insolvency.
Ultimately, students will suffer if the worst comes to pass. Schools could close, bus routes could be removed, and a state takeover could gut the district like it once did Oakland Unified.
Past decisions helped bring the district to this point, but we must now hold current leaders accountable.
Neither the district nor the Sacramento City Teachers Association budget solutions will fix the district’s financial problems, per the audit.
The school board, administrators and union leaders have had significant time to solve for budgetary issues.
Back in 2003, the district was warned its health benefits costs were excessive. Since then, the district has negotiated six agreements with the teachers’ union. And costs are not sufficiently controlled.
The district pays for the full cost of health care benefits for teachers and their families.
“In contrast, other nearby districts typically pay for the lowest cost health plan for the employee CONTINUE READING: Audit of Sacramento CA school district raises budget concerns | The Sacramento Bee
