\t\t\t\t\tWhy this matters<\/p>\n
Roughly 390,000 students were enrolled at a traditional public school in San Diego County last year, state data shows.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Enrollment drops. Budgets buckle. Help us stay on top of it all. It\u2019s that time of the year again \u2014 San Diego County schools\u2019 money problems are back on the front burner.<\/p>\n School districts, many of them spending more money than they\u2019re taking in, are reviewing their numbers to see if they\u2019re on track to meet their financial obligations or need to make cuts and adjustments as they prepare next year\u2019s budget. This is typically when schools start discussing layoff notices, if needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the decline in student enrollment continues to take a toll on school budgets, hundreds of roles are on the chopping block and more districts are looking to consolidate.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s particularly true in the South Bay, both for districts that have already been grappling with fewer students and for those that had yet to feel the pain.<\/p>\n More than a hundred roles are set to be eliminated at Chula Vista Elementary \u2014 the largest elementary-only district in the state \u2014 including the principal position for its special education program known as ASPIRE. Next year, the county Office of Education will assume responsibility for the program, with no interruptions to service expected for kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n The district had historically been immune to significant enrollment declines, even building new campuses as Chula Vista saw rapid housing development in its eastern parts.<\/p>\n In San Ysidro, the school board decided to consolidate its preschool program to help stabilize enrollment. Officials will move the program at Smythe Elementary to modernize classrooms at La Mirada Elementary to integrate preschool and transitional kindergarten, a district spokesperson told inewsource.\u00a0<\/p>\n But perhaps no other district in the county has felt the pressure of losing students more than South Bay Union in Imperial Beach.<\/p>\n With roughly half the students it had a decade ago \u2014 the biggest decline of all area districts \u2014 the board voted to reduce the district\u2019s budget by about $2 million each year through the 2028-29 school year to meet financial obligations and avoid outside interventions from the county and state.<\/p>\n The district already plans to close three of its campuses<\/a>. Up first: Central Elementary<\/a>, which will shutter at the end of this school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, South Bay Union\u2019s operating budget is about $115 million and it faces a $27 million shortfall, according to a December financial report. Those records also show a $8 million gap projected for each of the following two years.<\/p>\n The district voted to eliminate roughly 35 certificated and 22 classified positions, among them teachers, bus drivers, librarians, health professionals and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also included in the cuts are community coordinators who have brought events and resources to students, including a partnership with Feeding San Diego across several schools.<\/p>\n About 20 of the roles are vacant. The rest are not. Dozens of staff at the district will receive a layoff notice within the next few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe loss of those positions will cripple classrooms and impact students,\u201d Michelle Gates, a teacher at the district\u2019s Imperial Beach Charter School, said during a board meeting earlier this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Martha Rodriguez, a librarian technician at Pence Elementary, said the roles get eliminated but the job responsibilities do not. Teachers at districts where library positions have been eliminated lose critical instructional support, she said, and students also struggle to get help with technology or devices and lack basic research skills.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just a staffing issue. It is about ensuring that every student has equitable access,\u201d Rodriguez told board members.<\/p>\n District officials say they\u2019ve taken measures to reduce rising operational costs by keeping vacant positions unfilled or eliminating them, and offering an early retirement incentive a few years back. That\u2019s now expected to provide an estimated annual savings of about $2 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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