San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Board of Education members met for budget and administrative workshops this week to address an estimated $33 million midyear budget shortfall. School district staff reports project a possible $81 million SDUSD deficit going into next year. The board convened Monday and Tuesday to discuss the budget and other districtwide decisions regarding school program funding. SDUSD board member John de Beck — who represents schools in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Bird Rock and La Jolla — said the board didn’t solve the massive budget problem. “Although they (board) chipped away at the edges by coming up with minor cuts, the real solutions … they have not addressed,” de Beck said. He said the district could end up dipping into budget reserves, worsening the budget shortfall going into next year. The board is also behind schedule in addressing the 2009-10 budget. Last week, de Beck proposed the board take a two-month pay cut and that the district impose a 9-day districtwide furlough to save an estimated $70 million over two years. The board basically ignored his proposal, de Beck said. During the two-day workshop, de Beck said the board also decided to move state funds to schools in areas where poorer families live. These are families located predominantly in the southern part of the school district. However, this funding shift would leave some beach-area schools without much-needed money, said board member Katharine Nakamura. Schools in the beach area would lose tens of thousands of dollars because of a change in the formula on how state funds are channeled, she said. Schools now need a little under two-thirds of their students on a free or reduced-cost school lunch program. According to Nakamura, the following is how much some beach-area schools would lose as a result of the funding shifts: • Ocean Beach Elementary: $35,476 • Pacific Beach Elementary: $31,752 • Spreckels Elementary: $66,444 • Dana Middle: $75,852 • Correia Middle: $80,948 Nakamura added that the “6 to 6” program has also been cut. This program helped provide before- and after-school childcare for working parents. “These are families that are right on the edge and we’re going to pull the carpet out from under them?” Nakamura asked. Other options the board considered this month include “categorical” funding cuts such as cuts to workers compensation funds, hiring freezes and limiting contracted services, , according to district staff reports. The board did not address Small School Committee recommendations targeting several local beach-area schools. The committee has been meeting over recent months to address ways to save money by closing or reconfiguring schools with less than 400 students. Other board members could not be reached for comment. The board next meets Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. at the Eugene Brucker Education Center, 4100 Normal St.