The San Diego Office of Education recently released a letter stating that Sweetwater Union High School District is believed to still be misstating their financial information by millions of dollars. This ongoing problem has created a divide of trust between district officials and the Office of Education, which is responsible for receiving the financial statements of every school district across San Diego County.
With multiple financial letters coming in with false information about the District’s budget, and the true nature of the crisis it’s in, the investigation doesn’t come as a surprise.
It all started last September when the District spent well over their budget. They spent more than $30 million over that budget, throwing them into a downward spiral. While some officials knew months in advance about the danger the budget was in, they altered the documents to make it appear that the District wasn’t spending nearly as much as it actually was.
These heinous practices continue to happen within the District as officials fight what they’re basically calling an exaggeration of the reported numbers. The fact of the matter is that whether it’s $1 million or $30 million, overspending at such a high degree is unacceptable and detrimental.
Many of the effects caused by this situation directly affect the students and their ability to learn effectively under such drastic conditions. One of these effects is a decreased amount of spending on bus transportation, which has ignited numerous protests from students who depend on these buses to get to and from school.
Sweetwater Union High School District has been given multiple chances to submit proper financial statements to the Office of Education, but is failing to do so. With all the talk about promoting better education for all children, it’s sad to see that students are suffering at the hands of those who have no interest in improving schools.
Photo by StellrWeb
