Another school district has been plunged into financial hardship by allegations of sexual abuse dating back decades.
On Sunday, the Montecito Union School District (MUSD) in Santa Barbara County reached a $7.5 million settlement with two men who say they were abused by a former principal in the 1970s. That amount is roughly 40% of the district’s 2025-26 budget, according to EdSource.
To avert a collapse, the school board will impose a hiring freeze and divert money originally slated for capital repair projects to cover operations…