West Contra Costa interim superintendent warns enrollment decline, absenteeism threaten district budget and staffing

Interim West Contra Costa Unified School District Superintendent Kim Moses told the Richmond City Council on Monday that the district’s enrollment and attendance declines have produced a structural budget shortfall that will require further reductions unless revenues or enrollment recover.

Moses said the district has declined about 9.5% in enrollment since 2018–19 and that Richmond accounts for roughly 43% of the district’s students. “We are focused on preserving the quality of service for students and retaining quality staff,” Moses said. She told council members that the district’s chronic absenteeism and average daily attendance figures directly affect state funding.

The nut graf: West Contra Costa USD receives most of its funding on a per‑pupil, average‑daily‑attendance basis. Moses said the district is using one‑time restricted pandemic and federal grants to maintain many programs, but those sources will not cover recurring operating costs, creating a persistent gap in the district’s unrestricted general fund.

Moses outlined dollar figures during a 45‑minute presentation and subsequent public comment. She said the district’s unrestricted reserve requirement is roughly $16.6 million for 2024–25 (the 3% state reserve), and that Fund 17 internal reserves held about $37.6 million in the most recent unaudited actuals. Restricted balances—grants and one‑time funds—totaled about $101 million at year end, she said. Moses also told the council the district receives roughly $30 million annually in federal grants and that special‑education costs require substantial contributions from the general fund.

United Teachers of Richmond Executive Director Mark Mitchell told the council that classroom vacancies and a shortage of credentialed staff are already affecting instruction. “Richmond schools are currently unstaffable,” Mitchell said during public comment. Teacher and parent speakers described long‑term vacancies, substitutes filling core courses and students lacking science or physical‑education teachers at some campuses.

Moses said the district has identified about $7 million in reductions for 2025–26 and expects to need an additional roughly $6 million the following year if enrollment and state funding do not improve. She and her staff emphasized strategies to increase attendance, including the RISE Center coordination, SARB meetings, attendance campaigns and expanded community partnerships to address transportation and family needs.

Council members asked for more detail about which Richmond schools face the largest staffing gaps and called for a city–district collaborative to address attendance, safety at dismissal, transportation and teacher housing. Moses said she would work with the board and district staff to provide more granular school‑level vacancy and attendance data and welcomed joint city‑district meetings.

Public reaction at the meeting included teachers, parents and community advocates who urged greater investment in staff pay and housing to improve recruitment and retention. Francisco Ortiz, a Ford Elementary teacher and president of United Teachers of Richmond, told the council the district has under‑projected revenue and faces “a structural deficit” that requires transparent planning.

Moses closed by listing recent school achievements—robotics wins, a Columbia University scholarship recipient and two California recognitions—and provided links to the district’s unaudited actuals, FCMAT reviews and CAASPP data for council members and the public to review.

Looking ahead, Moses and the council agreed to schedule follow‑up briefings that drill down to school‑level vacancies, substitutes and the district’s multi‑year fiscal plan so city and district leaders can identify possible joint interventions.