School board OKs Kowba, $100 million in cuts
By Maureen Magee/San Diego Union Tribune
Celebration over Bill Kowba’s promotion to superintendent of California’s second-largest school district on Tuesday was quickly tempered by the formal approval of $100 million in cuts to next year’s $1.1 billion operating budget. The San Diego school board voted 4-0 to hire Kowba, offering the former interim chief a $250,000 salary on a three-year contract. That’s less than former Superintendent Terry Grier’s $269,000 annual pay and four-year contract. Trustee Shelia Jackson abstained from the vote to hire Kowba without explanation. After months of budget hearings and community workshops, the divided board barely passed its budget, tentatively adopted last week. (more...)