SAN DIEGO — San Diego Unified's Interim Superintendent Fabiola Bagula is making strides in her new role, addressing challenges and implementing positive changes three months after her appointment.
Bagula, who took over in September after Lamont Jackson was dismissed due to sexual harassment claims, is currently grappling with a substantial budget deficit while setting specific goals to improve student outcomes.
"I have dived right into the work," Bagula said, highlighting her commitment to her new position. As the leader of California's second-largest school district, she has established four primary objectives, "the wellness of children, graduation, literacy, and numeracy."
One of Bagula's immediate actions has been to enhance access to student information for school leaders, enabling them to provide better support. This week, she plans to visit various campuses to distribute books as part of her literacy promotion efforts.
However, the interim superintendent's most pressing challenge is the projected $176 million budget deficit for the upcoming school year. Bagula is awaiting the results of a fiscal audit. In the meantime, she has assembled an interdisciplinary team to address this issue, stating, "When I first got the role and saw the amount of $176 million, it felt so large. And so we put a team together, an interdisciplinary team, to start thinking about and really looking deeply at where we're spending our money and what decisions we can make."
The team has already identified $64 million in savings, reducing the projected deficit to $112 million. These savings include $25 million in vacancy savings and an additional $9 million in funding for economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and foster and homeless students in the district.
Bagula aims to eliminate the deficit by March, partly by offering early retirement incentives. When asked about potential layoffs, she responded, "We're seeking not to. That is actually one of the reasons why we're offering our SERP or early retirement incentive. We're hoping to honor our veteran teachers with a beautiful way of exiting the profession and honoring them while not having to lay off anyone. That is my biggest hope."
In addition to financial concerns, Bagula is prioritizing student safety. The school board is expected to adopt a resolution aligning with California law, which prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering school campuses without a warrant. This measure addresses fears stemming from potential mass deportations threatened by the incoming presidential administration.
Bagula emphasized, "Politics will be politics outside of the classroom, but inside the classroom, our children should be safe."