Oak Grove trustees certify interim budget as leaders and staff warn cuts to support positions will worsen services

The Oak Grove School District Board of Trustees voted March 12 to approve a positive certification of the district’s 2025–26 second interim budget, even as educators, classified staff and parents pressed trustees to preserve support positions targeted in recent reduction lists.

Associate Superintendent Evans presented the report, saying the district’s revenue base is roughly $141 million and that ‘‘what was a $10,000,000 deficit is now a $16,000,000 deficit’’ when current expenditures are compared to revenues. Evans warned one‑time funds have largely been exhausted and declining enrollment will reduce LCFF funding, leaving multi‑year gaps the district must address.

Public commenters described how proposed position eliminations would affect day‑to‑day operations. ‘‘Eliminating this position would shift these responsibilities to off‑site processes, increasing turnaround time, and repair expenses while reducing instructional access for students,’’ said Eileen Rozanski, assistant principal secretary at Bridal Intermediate, urging the board to reconsider cuts to the assistant principal secretary role. Teacher Isis Hernandez told trustees ‘‘cutting these roles will have a direct and detrimental impact on the daily lives and success of our students,’’ and questioned whether a recent budget uptick of $1.5 million had been used to shore up programs rather than preserve jobs.

Representing classified employees, CSEA Chapter President Chuck Balot said layoffs are painful and urged the board to prioritize attrition and redeployment where possible. ‘‘Attrition does not come with a layoff notice,’’ Balot said, asking the district to explore vacancies and redeployment before further eliminations.

Board members pressed staff for details about the largest drivers of spending. Evans said special education consumes the lion’s share of contracted services and that the district currently places roughly 82 students in nonpublic schools (NPS), with tuition in budget models often around $110,000–$115,000 per NPS student plus transportation. Those placements and other contracted services, Evans said, are a major component of the structural deficit.

Trustees asked staff to pursue multiple strategies discussed at the Budget Advisory Committee — deeper vendor reviews, careful use of restricted funds, more aggressive attrition practices and public outreach about a potential parcel tax — while noting that many contracted services are legally required or directly tied to student needs.

A motion to approve the positive interim certification passed by roll call. Evans said staff will return with more detailed options before the June budget adoption cycle and recommended a multi‑year plan that balances service priorities with fiscal solvency.

What happens next: the board certified the interim report and directed staff to continue analyzing vendor contracts, special‑education placements and targeted reductions; trustees also signaled intent to brief the public and explore revenue options such as a parcel tax and facility‑use adjustments.