Twin Rivers board approves $11 million Fund 40 assignment for workforce housing over public objections

The Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees approved Resolution 15 30 on a 4-2 roll-call vote to assign $11,000,000 from Fund 40 toward a district workforce housing project, despite sustained public opposition from teachers, union leaders and community members who said the money should stay focused on students.

Public commenters, including teachers and union representatives, told the board at a special teleconference meeting that the district’s immediate academic needs would suffer if the district redirected reserve funds. "If you choose to spend money on this housing project, you are choosing not to spend money on our kids," said Sarah Cavallari, identified in public comment as "vice president of Drew." Drusilla Ramirez, a third-grade dual-immersion teacher at Madison Elementary, said teacher vacancies and cuts to services mean students need support now and urged trustees to vote no on the resolution.

Union and community speakers pressed other fiscal claims. Britney Ward, identified as president of TRU, said district staff had transferred over $190,000,000 into Fund 40 over the past five years and argued those maneuvers concealed real cuts to classroom resources. "You were being asked by district staff to approve taking $11,000,000 in funding away from students to pay for a real estate development project that will have no direct impact on academic achievement," Ward said. Rebecca Ladoux, a teacher and member of TRUE, told the board the district moved $49,000,000 from the unrestricted general fund into Fund 40 during 2023–24. Community member Araceli Perez also raised concerns about legal contracting costs and asked that material charter revisions be reviewed with student outcomes in mind; she said four law firms were being hired for $1,150,000 and asked that reviews look beyond the minimum legal standard.

Board action and votes were procedural in form. Trustee Bastian moved to offer Resolution 15 30; Trustee Sandoval seconded. Roll call recorded affirmative votes from Trustees Bastian, Jefferson, Sandoval and Alcarra; Trustees Baker and Reischalp voted no. The chair announced, "Ayes have it." The meeting record shows the board approved several other routine motions that night, including personnel recommendations and the consent agenda (with item 3 removed for separate consideration), and it approved Trustee O'Kara's request to participate remotely for medical reasons under the Brown Act.

Board members did not, during the public portion of the meeting, provide additional data in response to several claims from speakers. Commenters asked for clarity about how tenants would be selected for any housing units, whether by lottery or preference, and pressed the district for evidence that the project would improve staff recruitment or retention. Those operational details and an implementation timeline were not presented during the meeting record.

The resolution will assign the specified $11,000,000 from Fund 40, which commenters and speakers described as a reserve fund for capital outlay and building projects. Several speakers contrasted Fund 40 with the general fund (Fund 1), saying general fund dollars are intended for ongoing student services. The board approved the measure at the special meeting; no additional procedural steps or effective dates were listed in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance: the board approved Trustee O'Kara's remote participation request (roll call, unanimous as recorded), approved personnel recommendations (motion carried), approved the consent agenda excluding item 3 (motion carried), and adopted Resolution 15 30 (4–2).