Dixon Unified moves to strengthen classroom instruction while approving staff restructures and budget reductions

The Dixon Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved multiple personnel and budget actions aimed at shoring up classroom instruction and district finances, including memoranda of understanding with certificated and classified labor groups, a 2025–26 school calendar and resolutions to reduce specified certificated and classified services.

District staff framed the measures as a two‑part response: (1) pivot instructional support toward stronger universal classroom instruction ("Tier 1") and (2) produce the $2–$2.5 million in budget reductions the district’s county office has required to protect reserves after recent negotiated salary increases.

Dr. Dan Scudero, assistant superintendent of personnel, said the district’s student‑support data show far fewer students than expected benefiting from strong core instruction. “To support our goal of strengthening tier 1 instruction, we created a TOSA position, actually 2 TOSA positions,” Scudero said, referring to teachers on special assignment who will serve as instructional coaches. He described the district’s assessment that, in reading, only about 30 percent…