Mount Diablo Unified superintendent warns of budget shortfall, reports multiple closed‑session personnel actions amid contract talks

Superintendent Clark told the Mount Diablo Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 26 that the district is operating in an uncertain fiscal environment and that leadership is preparing for possible program and staff reductions if revenue trends continue. Clark said the district has about $200 million in reserves but described much of those funds as restricted and warned that recent bargaining proposals would cost far more than the district can sustain.

“Even though there's $200,000,000 in there, so much of that money is restricted dollars,” Superintendent Clark said during his report, noting that some locally held funds are earmarked for specific programs such as expanded learning and arts grants. Clark told the board the district had priced seven compensation proposals and that the total for all items under discussion numbered far higher; he said a partial pricing put projected costs in the…