School board directs superintendent to prepare $7.5 million in ongoing cuts; union speaker demands trustee resignation

The Apple Valley Unified Board of Trustees voted in closed session to direct the superintendent to prepare and present resolutions outlining reductions in force to achieve a minimum of $7,500,000 in ongoing expenditure cuts.

The action was reported aloud after the trustees returned from closed session at noon. The clerk said the superintendent was "directed to prepare and present resolutions detailing the necessary reduction in force to achieve a minimum of a $7,500,000 reduction in ongoing expenditures," and to "explicitly delineate the positions within the unrepresented unit of employees, the certificated bargaining unit, and the classified bargaining unit that will be affected." The motion passed by roll call: Amanda Buchanan, yes; Maria Akpara, yes; Anita Tucker, absent; Rick Raleigh, yes; Renee Longshore, no.

The clerk read a set of Education Code citations during the announcement and said the action followed the superintendent's recommendation; the transcript reads the codes aloud in pieces (recorded verbatim in the meeting record).

The vote followed a morning presentation from district staff about short-, mid- and long-term budget goals. Staff said the district's short-term target was to identify at least $10,000,000 in ongoing annual reductions, rebuild reserves to 5 percent and pursue options intended to shield classroom programs while reducing central-office and contract costs. Staff described possible steps including management furlough days, shifting some positions to alternative funding sources where permitted, consolidating printing to central copiers, utility savings and schedule adjustments such as modifying early-release days and bell schedules.

Public commenters and several trustees pressed the board on process and timing. JC Scott, who identified himself as "chapter president" of the California School Employees Association chapter 828, told trustees he "condemn[ed] the actions" of holding the meeting at a time many employees could not attend and said employees "are left feeling unheard, unprotected, and undervalued." Scott added the union would continue to press the board until action was taken after a trustee's remark on Jan. 22, 2026; he called for that trustee to resign or for other trustees to formally condemn the remark.

A second public commenter raised concerns about the district's use of one-time funds to hire ongoing staff and cited the county's first interim audit (January 2025) as the moment the issue became public. That speaker said the board previously approved cuts labeled $2,500,000 for this year and $7,500,000 for next year and asked why further delays would continue to drain reserves.

Trustee Renee Longshore, who spoke in the board-comments portion of the meeting, pressed staff and leadership for clarity on when and how one-time funds were moved into the general fund and questioned whether the board had previously given direction to do so. Longshore cited figures she said represent recent reserve draws and potential spending, saying the district had already used $24,000,000 from reserves and warning cumulative impacts could be much larger.

Trustee Maria Akpara emphasized the limits of any one trustee's vote and said she would prioritize protecting classroom services. The board also discussed next steps for staff to prepare the required resolutions and the timeline the district must meet for any personnel actions.

The meeting closed with the board approving the agenda and adjourning at 12:33 p.m.