According to this post, 16% of California's School Districts project that over the next two years they won't be able to pay their bills. It's not a pretty picture. While these districts are already in big trouble, things aren't over yet.
Here is the key phrase:
The latest report was based on districts’ budget projections as of March. Since then, some districts have wrenched concessions from unions and laid off teachers to get off the list, at least for the moment. But until Gov. Schwarzenegger signs the state budget for the fiscal year that starts Thursday, districts won’t know if even their conservative revenue projections were optimistic.
This is exactly what we're going through now. Hopefully, the work our District is doing with the budget will give us a little leg room, not just for this year, but for the future. I'm heading to the school board meeting tonight so I'll post an update on the whole thing soon. But it's going to be an uphill battle.
Pointing out that K-12 schools saw budget cuts of $17 billion over the past two years, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said he has “grave concerns that more and more school districts will face financial crisis unless state lawmakers find solutions to the state budget crisis and provide adequate funding for our schools.”
Others agree. The districts’ next financial report, based on spending and revenue in October, will include projections for the 2012-13 fiscal year, when the picture will turn even darker, unless there is a miraculous economic turnaround.
Temporary state taxes will have run out, and districts must return to the full 180-day school year. They also will lose temporary flexibility on spending that the Legislature authorized for three years. Even if lawmakers extend “categorical” flexibility, many districts’ finances will be dire.
Here's the list of schools in trouble.
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