A classroom inside Hoover High / Photo by Dustin Michelson
When it comes to school budgets, it’s easy to get blinded by the big numbers — San Diego Unified plans to spend $1.3 billion operating schools this year; in November, voters will decide on a $3.5 billion construction bond.
But the margins outside of school staff salaries — paychecks and benefits account for more than 90 percent of San Diego Unified’s operating budget — and construction are thin. Inside those margins is a slice of money that comes up nearly every year as chronically mismanaged and ripe for abuse: Associated Student Body funds.
ASB funds, as they are commonly known, can be a meaningful boost for individual schools. Accounts top $1 million at some high schools. The money comes largely from…
