He knew he was facing a numbers problem when he took the job. But the bigger obstacle has been getting people to agree on what to do about it.
South Bay Union Superintendent Jose Espinoza inherited a decade-long enrollment decline and troubling finances when he joined the Imperial Beach-area district in late 2021. This year, he led it through some of the most unpopular decisions school leaders can make: close campuses and lay off staff.
But Espinoza says those cuts are in service of one important goal for district families: avoid a state takeover…