San Diego Unified officials are tentatively estimating that the recent revisions announced by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the state budget will cost the school district an additional $13.9 million this school year and nearly $32 million more next school year if all propositions pass at the ballot box next week.
And those added shortfalls could nearly double if none of the propositions pass, reaching $26 million this year and $62 million next year, according to school district estimates. Those numbers add to what was estimated to be a nearly $147 million deficit for next school year before the budget was revised.
Chief Financial Officer James Masias cautioned that the numbers are rough estimates. If some propositions pass and some fail, the final blow to San Diego Unified would likely fall somewhere between the high and low predictions.
“If the shortfall keeps increasing, the numbers are going to change,” Masias added.
Masias also shared some new estimates for the federal stimulus funding headed to San Diego Unified over the next two school years. It now anticipates receiving $31.8 million specifically for disadvantaged students, $25.8 million for special education, and $52 million in “state stabilization” money that is meant to firm up state and local budgets.