Santa Rosa board certifies negative budget outlook, approves first round of district‑office cuts amid public outcry

The Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education on Dec. 10 adopted a negative first‑interim certification and approved a fiscal stabilization plan that directs immediate reductions in district‑office management positions and previews deeper cuts to come.

In a presentation to the board, finance lead Luz Gaceres said the district’s updated projections show it cannot meet its financial obligations without board action. "We are certifying ourselves as negative," Gaceres said, noting the change means the district will not be able to meet financial obligations over the next 18 months if it maintains the status quo.

The negative certification followed a 90‑minute presentation laying out cash and multi‑year projections, including $1.1 million in additional state revenue tied to a community‑schools grant, the transfer of roughly $400,000 from restricted to unrestricted balances to help reserves, and roughly $7 million of professional‑services and licensing expenditures under review for possible reductions. Gaceres and staff emphasized that some steps described are short‑term cash protections meant to avoid reaching insolvency and a county appointment of a fiscal adviser.

Trustees voted unanimously to accept the report with a negative certification after questions about federal funding, prior budget history and whether the district had ever adopted a negative certification before. "If we do nothing, this is…