Note: All the information below comes from the San Diego Union-Tribune and La Jolla Light.

As the state of California faces a projected $70 million deficit and pandemic relief funds have run dry, budget cuts in the San Diego Unified School District have become inevitable. After officials’ discussions during a district budget workshop on January 4 have been revealed, school officials believe that public schools are preparing for the largest fiscal crisis of this decade, though it is expected to hit more gradually than the Great Recession did. 

Budget cuts are taking form in several ways, one of which is staffing reduction. According to the La Jolla Light, District officials are prioritizing attrition rather than layoffs to reduce staffing costs and offered a $1,000 incentive for staff members who declared their intent to retire by January 15th.  As of January, one science teacher at La Jolla High School is allegedly retiring from their position this school year. 

The San Diego Unified School District’s current budget dilemma is also heavily exacerbated by declining enrollment rates each year, as school funding from the state is dependent on how many students are attending the school. Administrators have also communicated intentions to remove services such as school-specific substitute teachers and family support staff that have been funded with COVID-19 pandemic relief money but are no longer as important. 

Overall, La Jolla High School is preparing for a very lean upcoming school year. As stated by the chief executive of consulting firm School Services of California, John Gray, during the January 4th budget workshop, “I would say fasten your seat belts, this will be an interesting time.”