NEWPORT BEACH

A number of Newport-Mesa Unified’s special programs--including Middle College High School, the homeless school and the new and much-heralded Community Day School--could become financial liabilities instead of moneymakers in the near future. That’s because the way the district gets the money for its $118-million budget could change, Mike Fine, assistant superintendent for business services, told board members last week.

Instead of relying on the state for funding, the district may have to switch back to funding itself almost solely from local property taxes. Newport-Mesa would become one of only 50 or so of California’s 1,100 school districts that qualify as “basic aid” districts. For the last three years, Newport-Mesa has been, like most districts, a “revenue limit” district, which means the state counts the number of students enrolled and sends the district about $4,200 per student.

Because the district hovers right around the line, switching funding status won’t really affect how much money the district gets. But it will have a huge impact on how receptive the district is to students from outside the district. Those students, who used to bring thousands of dollars in state money with them, all of a sudden become financial liabilities because the district is not reimbursed by the state for their education.