Newport-Mesa superintendent to speak on state of district

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard will  speak Wednesday night on the state of the district’s finances at the Newport Beach Yacht Club during  Speak Up Newport, a monthly meeting.

The public is invited to the forum, which will start at 5:30 p.m.  with appetizers and a cash bar.

Hubbard’s speech will start at 6 p.m. and last about a half hour.

The district has been saddled with financial problems, including the layoffs of more than 120 employees due to a $12 million shortfall in the district’s budget.

Administrators have been pointing the finger at the state, which withheld roughly $12 million from the district this year, causing the administration to ax a number of  school programs, including the Adult Education program and ESL classes.

Hubbard plans to speak about the complexity of school funding, enrollment projections and give an infrastructure update. A Q&A will follow his presentation.