Education 1-15

With an eye on state budget chaos, the Santa Barbara School District on 1/13 enacted a spending freeze. Financial honcho Eric Smith said the state budget package would force the district to cut an estimated $3.8 million by midyear and another $2.6 million from next year’s budget. The freeze is on all general-fund spending-except money from the state-and will force the district to evaluate the filling of any currently vacant positions on a case-by-case basis.

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The Santa Barbara School District approved the hiring of two interim special education directors on 1/13: Ric Nargie, a retired special ed leader from Ventura Unified School District, and Alan Hilton, a former special ed administrator from San Luis Obispo, will split the normally one-person position until a permanent replacement is hired later after the school year is over.