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Mountain View Whisman trustees weigh $9.5 million in cuts as community urges preservation of preschool and after‑school care
Summary
Trustees reviewed staff proposals to close a projected deficit — including district‑office reductions, custodial schedule changes, device and software cuts, reassigning STEAM/PE instruction, and possible changes to preschool and ELOP — and heard strong public opposition to eliminating preschool or ELOP. No final cuts were adopted; staff will return recommendations by Jan. 29.
Mountain View Whisman School District trustees spent the evening weighing options to close a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall, hearing staff modeling that a roughly $9.5 million package of reductions would flatten the district’s projected deficit and preserve reserves.
“We committed to what has turned into $3,700,000 worth of deficit spend,” Superintendent Bair told the board as he reviewed the district’s budget outlook, warning the figure could grow to roughly $11.3 million next year if no changes are made.
Why it matters: staff told trustees the district’s assessed valuation (AV) growth has slowed sharply and reserves could fall to precarious levels if the district does not reduce ongoing expenses. To avoid steep cuts later, staff proposed a mix of options that prioritize classroom instruction while reducing central office costs and some site supports.
What staff presented: the packet and slides laid out a menu of reductions and reconfigurations. Major elements included district‑office staffing reductions (roughly $3,780,000 in identifiable hard‑cost savings on the slide), reassigning some teacher‑of‑special‑assignment (TOSA) duties back to classrooms,…
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