Elk Grove Unified superintendent recommends two‑year funding plan to preserve key student supports

Superintendent Chris Hoffman outlined a multilayer recommendation for staffing and one‑time services at the Elk Grove Unified School District special board meeting, asking trustees for feedback and a direction vote on Nov. 18 before formal budget approvals.

Hoffman said the package preserves 173 positions in the recommended plan by folding some lines into existing department budgets or restricted funds, tapping one‑time sources for other roles and covering goods and services for one year. He described a three‑tier approach: (1) positions that fit into current department or restricted funding; (2) one‑time funded positions and goods/services (two years for positions through June 2028, one year for goods/services through June 2027); and (3) positions the district is not recommending for continued funding, paired where possible with alternative delivery models or retraining and placement assistance for affected staff.

Hoffman and staff listed priority categories retained in the plan that serve high‑need students, including nurses, campus supervisors, counselors, social workers and academic intervention teachers. He described funding mixes that include federal carryover (Title I), the Learning Recovery Block Grant/ESSER balances the district preserved, state allocations such as ELOP for campus supervisors, local tech utility funds for device needs in a worst‑case scenario, and grants such as the district’s share of the JUUL settlement and Prop 28 monies for arts specialists.

Hoffman summarized several numeric details the district used to construct the plan: 173 positions included in the recommended package; an estimated one‑time cost of about $42,000,000 to preserve all positions and goods/services; roughly $9,000,000 identified in Learning Recovery Block Grant carryover; approximately $4,000,000 available from educator‑effectiveness and related funds; and a $1,200,000 allocation tied to the JUUL settlement for certain program educator roles. He said the district also expects additional state one‑time dollars in January that could lower the need to use local reserves.

Trustees asked for clarifying information about AVID (the district’s elementary AVID expansion), counselor distribution models (Hoffman described a minimum two‑day model for elementary counselors and a 375:1 target ratio at secondary schools), social‑worker billing as a potential revenue source and McKinney‑Vento usage for homeless supports. Hoffman said the elementary AVID site coordinators and site‑level coordination will continue, that district‑level coordination will be provided (possibly through the Sacramento County Office of Education), and that final position approvals will proceed through the regular budget process after trustees give direction on Nov. 18.

Several public commenters and staff representatives urged the board to reconsider cuts to equity coaches, family‑community liaisons and academic intervention teachers, emphasizing the roles those positions play in attendance, family engagement and small‑group instruction. Hoffman and cabinet acknowledged the difficulty of reducing positions and said HR and labor leaders will begin transition planning to identify alternate placements and minimize disruption.

The board did not take a formal vote on the staffing recommendation at the meeting; trustees will consider direction at the Nov. 18 meeting and the positions will be adopted or refined in the budget process.