San Diego

The San Diego Unified School District could face a $3.6-million deficit for its 1990-91 budget under early projections made public Tuesday.

The annual January planning budget is always subject to substantial revisions in the spring, however, after changes in the projected state budget are made by the Legislature, which provides most of the money for education.

District administrators are planning new programs for opening an elementary and middle school, for improving basic skills curriculum at the junior-high level, for improving school security by hiring five more safety officers and for allowing up to 70 elementary school teachers to have class preparation time. The budget calls for a 2.79% pay increase for employees, using the state cost-of-living adjustment agreed to by employee bargaining organizations two years ago.