Santa Rosa board advances consolidation plan, approves qualified budget and creates county support committee amid community pushback

The Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education on March 12 moved forward with a living school consolidation and transition plan, approved a second interim budget that the district certified as “qualified,” and voted to create an ad hoc oversight committee with the Sonoma County Office of Education to help implement the transition work.

The actions come as the district faces falling enrollment and a budget shortfall that have prompted school closures, staff notices and a reorganization of programs. The board approved the second interim budget (scenario 1) and accepted the district’s qualified certification, meaning officials warned the district may not be able to meet its fiscal obligations in the current or next two fiscal years without further actions.

The board said the transition plan will rely on school‑level “empower teams” to handle many implementation decisions and on cross‑department implementation and design teams to align transportation, special education, athletics and other operations. The district also approved an ad hoc committee to work with the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCO) on six priority areas including fiscal management, special education planning, campus safety and 7–12 configuration planning.

Board and staff described the transition plan as a ‘‘living document’’ the district will update as sites finalize decisions. Superintendent Dr. Morales said most decisions should be made at the school‑site level where possible, with cabinet and district staff supporting logistics and compliance. The district will post notes from site empowerment teams so the public can see…