| From the Reporter |
| Talking, Not Closing |
| For at least the last seven years, the San Diego Unified School District has been studying which schools it should close to save the district money. But, despite continued recommendations from staff and superintendents to close certain schools, the board has consistently balked at taking this politically distasteful option. |
| Crunch Time |
| The district is in severe financial straits. It needs every penny it can to dig itself out of a minimum deficit next year of $60 million. Closing schools could save the district around $500,000 per school on administrative costs, paying principals and utilities costs, but the school board says those savings aren’t worth it considering the impact they’ll have on kids’ educations. |
| No Good Options |
| The school board tried to paint the latest round of school closures as ill-thought out and misguided, but they were anything but. The district has been assessing which schools to close for years, and this year’s recommendations were made based on clear criteria handed down by the school board. The broader reality is that closures are one nasty option on a list of nasty options the trustees have to save money for next year. So far, the trustees have shown no stomach for making those options. |