Mill Valley trustees approve $6 million in reductions as superintendent proposes ending full‑day TK and cutting counseling and intervention staff

The Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees voted to approve Superintendent Elizabeth Kaufman’s recommended actions to address a projected multi‑million dollar budget shortfall, a package that includes district‑office reductions, cuts to counseling and targeted‑learning staff, and a proposal to suspend the district’s full‑day transitional kindergarten (TK) offering.

Kaufman told the board the recommendations are aimed at balancing the district’s budget and protecting core K‑8 programs. “We must have prudent reserves,” she said while explaining timeline pressures tied to state reporting and bond‑rating reviews. The board approved the package by voice vote; trustees indicated unanimous support.

The superintendent framed the cuts as urgent because the district’s reserves have fallen and outside oversight deadlines are approaching. Kaufman and staff presented analysis showing the district’s reserve ratio would dip below the board’s policy target without reductions and said the county office of education expects a formal resolution by February and additional notices by March tied to layoff timelines. Kaufman also cited contact with a ratings firm (Standard & Poor’s) and the need to protect the district’s credit rating as a reason for accelerated action.

Key elements of Kaufman’s recommendations disclosed during the meeting included: a proposal to suspend full‑day TK that the superintendent estimated would save about $1.9 million to $2.3 million next year once added costs are included; a target reduction of approximately $400,000 in counseling services; proposed reductions in targeted learning staff (RAMP/TLL) totaling roughly $800,000; district‑office and contractor savings in the low‑to‑mid six‑hundreds of thousands of dollars; and a reduction in certain consultant and contractor contracts. Kaufman said some savings are expected from attrition and retirement but that the size of the shortfall required more immediate actions.

The proposed TK change prompted extensive public comment. Dozens of parents, teachers and staff urged the board to preserve the program, describing TK as a classroom‑based early‑learning intervention that supports kindergarten readiness and equity for families who cannot afford private preschool. “TK is an investment in our children's success,” said Elizabeth Linehan, a parent. Several TK teachers and school counselors described specific student outcomes they attributed to the program and to on‑site counseling support.

Supporters of retaining TK and counseling described community organizing underway — petitions, parent groups and offers to explore private and philanthropic support — and asked the board to delay final implementation so families and the district could pursue alternatives. “We are a community that has mobilized; more than 460 people signed a petition in six days,” said Lehi Shively, a parent who described neighborhood fundraising discussions.

Board members pressed staff on the fiscal models and alternatives. Trustees and the superintendent discussed options including across‑the‑board salary reductions, further district‑office cuts and program tradeoffs. Kaufman said a one‑time, district‑wide salary reduction that would generate the equivalent of the TK savings would be roughly 4.9 percent and would require bargaining with unions; she warned such a reduction could lead to departures and would itself be difficult to implement. The board asked staff to continue line‑by‑line reviews of contracts, purchases and operating expenditures.

The board approved the superintendent’s recommended actions by voice vote; minutes and the meeting record show the motion passed with full board support. The board also directed continued outreach to the Marin County Office of Education and said staff will provide monthly budget updates to the board and the public.

Why it matters: The board’s action changes the district’s near‑term service mix and starts a process that could alter staffing, student supports and early‑childhood offerings. Trustee comments and public testimony showed the cuts touch widely supported, student‑facing services — TK, counselors and targeted learning staff — and not only administrative or back‑office spending. The district said it must present a plan now to the county office to show it is addressing its structural budget gap and to avoid more intrusive external oversight.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve superintendent’s recommended actions to address projected budget shortfall (listed by staff as actions totaling approximately $6,000,000). Outcome: approved (voice vote; board recorded full support). No individual roll call names were recorded in the public spoken tally; minutes list the motion as passing unanimously.

What’s next: The superintendent and business office will return with monthly budget updates and further detail on implementation plans, bargaining implications and any community funding proposals. The board said it will continue conversations with potential community partners and the Marin County Office of Education.