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By Jill Tucker
San Francisco Chronicle
With a stormy financial front headed toward San Francisco schools, Mayor Gavin Newsom offered to help the district Friday with $30.6 million from the city’s rainy day fund.
Facing a $40 million shortfall, district officials were preparing for massive layoffs and program cuts - including cutting more than 500 teachers and staff.
"This is perilous," the mayor said of the potential impact. "This is ominous. This is simply not acceptable."
Newsom’s proposal must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
In 2003, city voters passed Proposition G, which required the city save excess revenue during good economic times.
The account now holds about $122 million, with the school district eligible for up to 25 percent of the total if two conditions are met: The school district must be getting less money per pupil from the state when adjusted for inflation, and must be facing significant teacher layoffs.
City and school officials said based on current budget projections, there is no question the district will meet that criteria.
A few supervisors have already said they would support the idea.
"Needless to say, it is raining on the San Francisco school district," Supervisor Bevan Dufty said Thursday during a joint committee meeting with school board members on the topic.
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell said during bad economic times, everyone takes their shoes off and puts their feet on the table. The one with the most holes in their socks gets help.
"We cannot allow (the schools) to feel this to that extent," she said.
The announcement at Mission High School on Friday morning was unexpected, given the mayor’s position Thursday evening that it was still premature to consider allocating money to the schools from the city’s reserve. He said Friday that he had just received recent city budget numbers, with new information on what was available for the schools from the reserve.
School Superintendent Carlos Garcia said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts are unimaginable and unacceptable.
If the governor doesn’t revise his budget for the better, suing the state wouldn’t be out of the question, even though San Francisco city coffers would help cover the shortfall this year, Garcia said.
"I would consider a lawsuit against the state of California for failure to provide sufficient funds for an adequate education," he said.
In the meantime, it could take city officials some time to go through the process of allocating the rainy day funds to the schools.
Schools are required by state law to notify staff and teachers of a possible layoff by March 15 and confirm that by May 15. Those first pink slips will probably still go out, but the vast majority could be rescinded if the rainy day fund comes through.
Local officials said they are still hoping the proposed state cuts won’t come to pass, but noted it’s important to be prepared for the worst. The rainy day money allows the district to know it’ll be financially secure no matter what happens in Sacramento.
"If we don’t need it, we’ll give it back," Garcia said.
The mayor initially announced at the news conference that he’d support giving the schools $29.5 million from the fund if necessary, but revised that later Friday to reflect the entire 25 percent apportionment allowed under the law.
Several high school principals and assistant principals - who were meeting at Mission High - attended the news conference. It was a staff workday, with students off.
The principals cheered as Newsom announced the rainy day reprieve.
Burton High School Principal Bill Kappenhagen looked happy and weary as the news conference broke up. He said he hadn’t slept in four days thinking about how he’d slash $600,000 from his school’s budget next year, based on estimates the district had announced to administrators Monday.
Kappenhagen hadn’t told his teachers and staff yet about the cut. He scheduled a staff meeting for Monday, when he planned to tell them that nearly eight teachers would have to go, as well as supplies and who knows what else.
He blew out a sigh of relief Friday, knowing he would never have to break that news.
"It means I’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep," Kappenhagen said through a big smile. "It’s a huge relief."
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