San Diego Unified is now projecting a higher deficit than it did in February, when it hashed out its initial plan to close an estimated $87 million deficit for next school year.
It has to find more than $26 million more to balance its books before the end of June, when its budget is due. And on top of that, the school district could face $31.8 million more in state cuts.
Why the changes? Let's start with the new $26 million deficit. Some of the schools' planned savings didn't pan out -- and the district hasn't gotten all the funding it planned for. For instance, the school district is saving $2.2 million less than expected from its hiring and spending freeze. It's spending more than originally planned on special education and getting less money to cover it, leaving it $10 million short. It's also getting $8 million less to reduce
The Escondido Union High School District got some respect in an otherwise troubling report on how to improve education for English learners in California.
The report, created by a coalition of parent and activist groups called Californians Together, found the majority of English learners have been in U.S. schools for more than six years without gaining adequate English skills. It chalks up the problem to a lack of effective school curricula for English learners, inconsistent programs and other lapses in English learner education. Many are stuck at the intermediate level and struggle without the academic vocabulary they need to understand classes.
Yet few school districts have tackled the problems of long-term English learners, the report found. One of the exceptions that Californians Together highlighted was Escondido, which it credited for a series of classes called "Spanish for Native Speakers" that helped increase
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-- EMILY ALPERT
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