San Diego Unified leaders press Sacramento for special education funding amid rising enrollment and budget gaps

District officials take funding requests to state leaders

San Diego Unified School District leaders traveled to Sacramento to advocate for additional education funding, with special education among their top priorities. District officials scheduled meetings with legislative leaders’ staff and key education policymakers as California’s budget process moved forward and school districts statewide weighed cost pressures against available state and federal support.

The Sacramento trip came as San Diego Unified worked to close a projected budget shortfall for the 2025–26 school year. The district has publicly described a projected $176 million deficit that was reduced to $112 million after identifying $64 million in savings tied to vacancy savings, updated revenue projections, and changes in student counts used in the state’s funding calculations.

Special education costs rise as enrollment increases

A central focus of the district’s advocacy has been the growth in the number of students receiving special education services and the costs associated with meeting legally required supports. California Department of Education data cited by district officials show special education enrollment in San Diego Unified increased from 18,604 students in 2022–23 to 20,423 students in 2023–24.

District leaders have argued that the pace of funding has not matched the rising level of need. They have also pointed to longstanding gaps in federal support under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law enacted in 1975 that set a federal funding goal that has not been met in practice.

• San Diego Unified reports spending more than $400 million annually on special education.
• The district reports receiving about $28 million in IDEA funding, covering roughly 6% of its special education expenditures.

How state budget decisions shape district revenues

The district’s Sacramento meetings occurred within the context of California’s broader K–12 finance system, which largely runs through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and includes annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). For the 2025–26 fiscal year, the LCFF COLA was funded at 2.30% after an earlier estimate of 2.43% during the Governor’s initial budget proposal phase.

For districts, LCFF adjustments can affect ongoing revenue projections, while categorical programs and special education allocations interact with local obligations that continue regardless of federal reimbursement levels.

Additional steps and next milestones

San Diego Unified’s budget planning has also included staffing-related cost controls. The district reported that participation in its early retirement incentive exceeded projections, with 968 employees filing paperwork by the January 15 deadline—about 27% higher than expected. District officials have framed these developments as part of a broader effort to stabilize finances while maintaining services.

District leaders have said the goal is to align funding with the actual cost of serving students with disabilities while maintaining other core instructional programs.

District officials have indicated additional public budget updates would follow in the months after the Sacramento advocacy trip, as the state budget process continues and local school boards adopt final spending plans for the next school year.