Mill Valley board approves major budget cuts; community speakers warn of program and staff losses

The Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 13 approved a set of budget reductions designed to close a multimillion-dollar shortfall, drawing sustained public comment from parents, teachers and union leaders who said the cuts will harm students and the district’s day-to-day operations.

Supporters of the district’s staff and programs flooded the meeting to press the board to preserve counselors, library aides, ramp/reading specialists, wellness services and arts positions. Speakers also criticized the timing and transparency of the process and urged the board to seek community-driven funding solutions.

Why it matters: Board members said the district faces a structural budget gap (district leaders described a budget that initially showed roughly a $5 million deficit) and a decline in enrollment that together threaten reserves. Trustees said the reductions were needed to meet legal and county reporting deadlines and avoid reserve collapse. Community members said proposed cuts would disproportionately affect the district’s most vulnerable students and the workers who support them.

What the board heard - Katie Wilshire, representing CSEA Chapter 360, said classified staff are “the backbone” of the district and warned that recommended reductions amount to nearly a 40-person reduction across classifications, “approximately half of the classified workforce” if the resolution is implemented. She urged the board to work cooperatively with unions to mitigate harm. - Erin Frazier and Julie Bremer, co-presidents of the Mill Valley Teachers Association (MBTA), argued that teacher salary increases were not the cause of the deficit and urged cuts be made “as far away from the classroom as possible.” Frazier cited district budget reports showing certificated-staff pay as a smaller share of total expenditures than in prior years. - Several parents and staff urged the board to retain elementary counselors and middle school ramp/reading specialists. Park School parent Katie Weber and multiple speakers said counselors serve daily, ongoing student needs that cannot be shifted to psychologists or short-term interns without losing continuity of care. - Art and music teachers told trustees that reductions would force remaining specialists to cover multiple sites and damage program quality and community partnerships funded by Kiddo donors.

District response and context District staff and trustees said they are trying to preserve core classroom instruction and small class sizes as top priorities while balancing the budget within state and county requirements. Dr. Kaufman (superintendent) and administrators presented the district’s midyear Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) update and said the district must adopt reductions by statutory deadlines unless alternative revenues are secured. Board members repeatedly said the choices were painful and that every program and position carries value to students.

A number of speakers called for improved transparency and for the district to open provisional registration for transitional kindergarten to help project demand and guide planning; others urged the district to provide more detailed line-item accounting of non-personnel expenditures.

Immediate next steps and outlook Trustees voted to adopt the budget reduction resolutions and certify required documents for the county office. Board members and staff said they will continue to explore restructuring and community partnerships while implementing the reductions needed to meet the March statutory notices and maintain required reserves.

The board’s action sets in motion personnel notices and further bargaining with unions about vacancies, bumping rights and job descriptions, and the district said it will continue community outreach and post additional budget detail online.