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Enrollment decline forces staffing adjustments; trustees warn of more cuts
Summary
District staff told the Oct. 22 board that declining enrollment has reduced available resources and led to fewer administrators and teachers; trustees discussed equitable 'rightsizing,' the limits of grant funding and state-level policy options to stabilize funding.
Dr. Licciardello told the board that the district has seen declining enrollment and that ‘‘with fewer students comes fewer resources for the district’’ as the presentation compared staffing and enrollment across 2023–2026 and explained fractional FTE assignments, shared TOSA/COSA roles, and use of grant funding to support some positions.
The staffing review showed the district reduced approximately 10 teachers and two administrators compared with the prior year as the staff aligned positions with current enrollment. The presentation noted new demands — 10 additional TK classes this year and required TK aides — while Kids' Corner enrollment and staffing increased after that program moved into the bargaining unit.
Board members said the district is ‘‘very lean’’ administratively and voiced concern that continued flat or declining enrollment could force cuts that would harm core instruction. Superintendent Dr. Serrano warned, ‘‘we're gonna have to do further reductions just given where we are with continued flat enrollment, which if you're flat, you're declining,’’ and urged the board to make reductions equitably across educational and operational spending.
Board members identified possible external remedies to reduce pressure and appealed to state policymakers. One trustee summarized two state-level items to track: AB 477, described as a Muratsuchi bill that would raise the LCFF base rate to provide more money per pupil, and SB 98, a study on how removing attendance-based funding would affect schools; the board was urged to follow those items and to advocate where appropriate.
Staff also described grant limitations. Some federal or state grants require thresholds for EL, low-income, foster or other student percentages that the district typically does not meet, limiting options to use grant funding for certain positions. The district reported 53 students are currently enrolled in the Distance Learning Academy (DLA), and staff said some schools absorb students throughout the year, which can affect site-level staffing calculations.
Next steps: staff will continue rightsizing work, present budget-reduction scenarios in budget season, and return with any recommended allocation changes. Trustees requested additional reporting on DLA counts and site-level staffing implications.
