SAN DIEGO UNIFIED (KGTV) — San Diego Unified School District leaders traveled to Sacramento to push state lawmakers for increased special education funding as the district faces a significant budget deficit.
Special education takes up about a quarter of the district's budget, and with a large deficit, San Diego Unified needs help from the state to avoid cuts that could impact students.
"We have a large special education student population, but that is continuing to grow," said Sabrina Bazzo, vice president of the San Diego Unified School Board.
Almost 25% of San Diego Unified's budget is spent on special education, but the state only covers about 30% of those costs.
"The state is only putting in about 30% right now, so much of our budget deficit is because we have shortages in the area of special education," Bazzo said.
The district currently faces a roughly $50 million budget deficit. Around this time last year, the deficit was $186 million.
"I mean, we'll find places to cut, I'm sure," Bazzo said. "But ultimately, they need more support."
Bazzo says some of the funding shortfall comes from federal sources, specifically IDEA funding, but the majority stems from insufficient state funding.
"If we could have Sacramento paying their fair share to help support us in our special education area, we wouldn't have an issue with the deficit at this point," Bazzo said.
The district is also calling on the state to release more funds that are currently being held.
If San Diego Unified receives additional funding, officials plan to focus on three key areas:
- Professional development for transitional kindergarten teachers
- A support system designed to give students help before special education referrals are made
- Providing students with behavioral and emotional support early on
The early intervention approach aims to address student needs before they require more intensive special education services.
"It just seems to be a constant battle to get what really our students really deserve better," Bazzo said.
The district's advocacy efforts come as special education enrollment continues to grow, putting additional strain on already limited resources.
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