Budget Cuts Forcing New Look at School Consultants

A majority of San Diego city schools trustees decided late Tuesday to re-examine the way funds are spent on consultants when budget hearings begin next month on the district’s looming $37-million shortfall.

Trustees went ahead and approved $42,000 for consultants on the weekly Tuesday agenda, after the first detailed discussion of consultant spending in years. In the past, such items were treated as routine and passed without comment.

Trustee John De Beck, who asked earlier this month for an agenda change requiring the discussion, cast the only vote against approval of Tuesday’s list, pointing to the budget shortfall and the possibility of cutting sports, nurses and many other programs, as well as a lack of policies over when to use a consultant and how to ensure a fair selection among those available.

De Beck pointed to requests on Tuesday for $3,870 to teach Spanish to teachers at Mission Bay High School, for $4,000 teacher training workshops in compensatory education, and $1,530 for a photographer to explain his craft to sixth-grade students at a Zamorano Elementary School.

“Under our present budget constraints, these are inappropriate,” De Beck said.

But Trustee Sue Braun said she was willing to go along with the list because the money already has been budgeted for this year.

An irritated Ann Armstrong challenged De Beck over whether use of district experts in place of outside consultants would be any cheaper, moving for approval of the list.

The board agreed with Supt. Tom Payzant, however, who said trustees need to direct him during next month’s budget sessions on how to tighten consultant use and selection policies.