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District ties proposed closures to $13M solvency plan and 122 proposed layoffs
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Sue Fernandez outlined a solvency plan that combines non‑salary reductions, a hiring freeze and proposed staffing reductions (122 FTEs) tied to the superintendent’s recommendation to close select campuses; trustees asked how scenario changes would alter the forecast.
Assistant Superintendent Sue Fernandez told the board that the district’s current solvency package includes about $3 million in non‑salary cuts already enacted, a hiring freeze that holds approximately $6 million in vacancies for the current year, and proposed next‑year actions that include 122 full‑time equivalent layoffs and an additional $1.2 million in non‑salary reductions. Fernandez said the district is building next year’s forecast on the assumption of three school closures and that the $13 million estimate incorporates both closures and staffing reductions.
"Included in that 13,000,000 estimate is, the recommended school closures that we'll we're discussing tonight," Fernandez said, and she told trustees the budget and closures are closely linked. Fernandez noted that some savings (utilities, custodial) are more variable, while staff reductions (principals, office managers, custodial positions) are the most reliable recurring savings the district can count on.
Trustees asked about the ability to alter which schools are closed without reworking the whole budget. Staff replied that while total facility savings can be similar across different combinations, staffing savings and the distribution of affected positions can change and require re‑modeling; staff said they could produce alternate scenario cost models if trustees submit desired configurations.
Fernandez also reviewed the district’s recent exit from receivership after repaying a multi‑decade state loan and warned that future negative certifications or notices could trigger additional oversight or recovery plans if fiscal distress continues.
No formal budget actions were taken at the study session; staff will present the first interim budget report and the modeled scenarios tied to trustee requests at upcoming meetings.
