One by one, parents, teachers and a couple students approached the microphone during a forum Dec. 9 at Mission Bay High School to voice ideas and possible solutions to the school district’s impending budget worries. Interim Superintendent Bill Kowba painted a bleak picture and said the San Diego Unified School District faces an estimated $147 million to $203 million budget deficit in 2010-11. Tapping into dollars set aside for special programs, offering health insurance trade-offs, work furloughs, an unlikely parcel tax and staff pay reductions backed by IOUs, were some ideas speakers and San Diego Unified School District administrators brought forward to help close the projected budget gap which SDUSD Board Trustee John de Beck called “cataclysmic.” Drawing about 150 parents and community members, last week’s meeting is the latest in a series of public forums over school budget constraints district administrators blame on increasing costs combined with less and less money from state coffers over recent years. “Only way I see out of this is to cut pay with vouchers and the furloughs,” de Beck said. de Beck admitted that potential savings in the ballpark of $63 million to $100 million through furloughs alone would not cover the projected deficit. de Beck unsuccessfully floated the furlough idea last year which, he said, would have lessened the blow on this year’s budget deficit. He added that cutting staff pay while offering “vouchers” to make up the difference and paid at a later date could also help. Though he couldn’t offer details on a voucher program, he said other California districts, including Los Angeles, have successfully run a similar program. The idea of a school district-wide “parcel tax,” ranging from $20 to $750, also surfaced. Though unlikely, de Beck said such a tax could raise tens of millions of dollars. A group of parents also pointed toward healthcare benefits cuts as a way to save money. Offering incentives, like cash, to employees covered under their spouses’ healthcare program could help save some money. However, no details on such a program were offered. And any changes to employee pay and benefits would have to be negotiated with unions. One parent, Darlene Tuulik, said the school should cut administrative pay. “(the district) should start at the top and stay away from the kids,” said Tuulik, a Clairemont resident and mother of a student at La Jolla High School. Several disliked the idea of cutting pay, school hours through furloughs or cutting benefits. Mission Bay High School teacher Matt Moody runs the Mission Bay High School newspaper program. He said the school already froze the school’s newspaper budget and that cutting more programs or, potentially, class time, sends the wrong message to parents and students. “I find it unconscionable that an underperforming school district … would want to cut additional days from their students’ academic schedule,” Moody said. His comments were met with applause. As the community gathers to brainstorm, voice their opinion and concerns, district board trustee de Beck said now is the time to address school district board members concerning parents’ priorities before important milestones next year. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to offer his state budget proposal in January, and this will give the San Diego Unified a clearer picture of what to expect from the state, officials said. This is the third year in a row the state faces funding reductions to education, school district officials said. de Beck said parents and community members should voice their concerns to district board trustees before the board votes on possible cuts to program funding next year. “Everything we do is going to hurt children. It’s not going to be a free ride,” he said.