Schools in San Francisco’s progressive haven are facing a severe budget crunch. The situation is so dire that the district may have to close some schools.
It’s amazing that these schools are having cash flow problems when you consider the taxes people pay to live there.
School district officials recently met with some financial experts who are giving them some tough love.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
Late last week, two financial experts appointed several years ago to provide guidance to the school district were authorized to suspend or reverse financial decisions made by the superintendent or school board. This is the extreme action a state superintendent of public instruction can take when a district is in “financial distress.”
The school board reviewed the new reality Tuesday night, as state advisers and other financial experts detailed the dire financial situation and how to get out of it. They urged district leaders to impose an immediate hiring freeze, which Wynn agreed to implement. State officials who met with Wynn last week acknowledged the district has been cooperating and is responding to requests more quickly…
It can be said that I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The district has overspent for years and failed to adjust for declining enrollment, relying on a deep state budget, savings and pandemic recovery funds to make ends meet.
Those bills are coming due, and a weak state budget is making the situation worse.
Back in October 2023, CBS News reported that the teachers union fought for a raise and won:
The San Francisco teachers union and school district averted a threatened strike Friday morning after reaching a tentative agreement after marathon overnight negotiations…
The tentative agreement includes a $9,000 salary increase for teachers this school year and an additional 5% raise for the 2024-2025 school year.
Maybe that’s part of the problem. Teachers unions always seem to get what they want.
