Trustees debate school consolidations, reserve use and staff cuts as enrollment falls
Summary
Trustees and staff discussed consolidation and other reduction options after the audit flagged deficits; topics included potential savings from consolidating under-enrolled schools, limits on dipping into state investment pools, water‑rights and property constraints at lake sites, and the risk of state intervention if the district cannot restore fiscal balance.
Trustees spent a large portion of the meeting discussing possible budget‑reduction strategies after auditors flagged material deficits. The board focused on options ranging from targeted staffing reductions and reallocated duties to consolidation of underutilized schools.
Superintendent Alvarado said the district will prepare a data‑driven consolidation analysis and staffing matrix for the board. "We don't intend to agendize an action item until the board feels fully prepared to make a decision," he said, describing the administration’s plan to provide cost‑savings estimates and scenario modeling before any vote.
Multiple trustees emphasized both the scale of the shortfall and the competing priorities. "We have to bring that $4.5 million back into balance," Trustee Burns said, arguing that the district must act to avoid deeper fiscal trouble. Trustee Zinky urged the board to identify specific baseline staffing levels to guide decisions: "I want to identify the areas where we do the most good with the least cost," he said.
Trustees and staff flagged practical complications. Several lake schools are on land or trust arrangements that may carry reversion clauses and special legal constraints; the district's water rights also were described as assets that require maintenance and may not be appropriate to sell without further legal review. Finance staff confirmed that proceeds from facility sales would flow to the district's building and sites fund rather than directly into the general fund, meaning a sale would not provide immediate general‑purpose cash without additional steps.
Trustees scheduled further analysis — including transport cost modeling, per‑pupil cost comparisons, and the financial consequences of moving students from lake sites to valley schools — and reiterated there are no consolidation decisions at this time.
The board noted a Department of Taxation review scheduled for Dec. 10 and stressed that the district must demonstrate a credible plan to stabilize finances to avoid state oversight.
