Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing And Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Rosa City Schools approves widespread staff notices as it implements rightsizing plan
Summary
The Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education approved resolutions authorizing the district to notify large numbers of certificated and classified employees that they may be released or reassigned as part of a districtwide rightsizing plan tied to the loss of one‑time funding and recent school consolidations.
The Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education on Feb. 26 approved resolutions authorizing the district to issue preliminary notices to large numbers of certificated and classified employees as it implements a rightsizing plan to address the loss of one-time revenue and the staffing impacts of recent school consolidations.
The board approved a certificated reduction resolution that the district said represents 165.8 full‑time equivalent (FTE) certificated positions. In closed session earlier the board also authorized dozens of individual notices, including a resolution to notify 62 temporary certificated employees (23.4 FTE) and multiple resolutions affecting certificated administrators; several separate resolutions and resolution numbers were read into the record. A separate action later in the meeting approved a classified reduction resolution (202425‑44).
Why it matters: school and program staffing changes will affect classroom assignments, student supports and site services during a multi‑year transition. Trustees and staff described the notices as required by state Education Code timelines; the superintendent said notices must be served by March 15 so the district can finalize its second interim fiscal report to the County Office of Education.
Board action and votes: when the board voted on the certificated reduction (agenda item f5), the roll call recorded trustees Casten, Kirby, Medina and Jenkins and Clerk De La Torre voting in favor; student board member Zuniga registered a dissenting vote. Later, on the classified reduction (agenda item f6), the roll call showed Casten and Kirby voting yes, Medina voting no, Jenkins and Clerk De La Torre voting yes; the motion passed.
What trustees and staff said: Superintendent Dr. Morales framed the actions as technically required “preliminary notices” that allow the district flexibility to recall positions as enrollment and course requests become clearer. “We... have to over‑notify at this point and then pull back from there as we start to see the numbers materialize,” she said, describing the March and May statutory timelines and the district’s need to present a balanced second interim budget to the County Office of Education.
Union and community reaction: CSEA President Mary Lehman urged more support for affected staff and called attention to the human cost of notices: “It is not enough to issue these notices and move on,” she said, calling for therapy, job placement assistance and peer supports for employees. Santa Rosa Teachers Association President Catherine Howell described the cuts as deep and traumatic for communities and staff, and warned that reductions appear concentrated in classroom supports: “At the very moment when we are throwing our students into turmoil, we're taking away their supports.”
Public commenters and site staff stressed particular vulnerabilities: multiple nurses, counselors, family engagement facilitators, restorative specialists and multilingual supports were singled out as critical. School nurse Jennifer Rodriguez said removing positions would harm safety and attendance: “Cutting 22 counselors, 20 restorative specialists, family engagement program, and your nursing staff ... is not safe or healthy for anyone,” she told the board. Data systems staff also warned of loss of operational capacity if certain technical roles are eliminated; Data Management Analyst Ken Roberts said his two‑decades of institutional knowledge is used to generate district reports and maintain integrations for multiple school systems.
Next steps and limits: Trustees and staff repeatedly emphasized these are preliminary notices required by Education Code procedures; the district said many of the notices can be rescinded as enrollment and course requests are finalized. Final notices for affected certificated employees, if any, must be sent by May 15 under current law. The board directed staff to continue work on transition plans, site scheduling and community engagement as it finalizes the fiscal stabilization plan.
