WCCUSD board votes preliminarily to cut certificated and classified positions, rejects removing JROTC from the list

The West Contra Costa Unified School District board on Feb. 22 approved preliminary resolutions to reduce certificated and classified staff as part of a fiscal solvency plan, after nearly six hours of public comment and extended debate.

The board passed a set of resolutions authorizing notices of reduction of particular kinds of service and placing a number of positions on a contingent list while staff seeks replacements or additional revenue. Business staff warned that removing items from the reduction list without identified replacements would worsen the district's structural deficit and could lead to a negative certification by the county. "Without an approved replacement for that removal, we would not have a balanced budget," said Mister Carter, the district's business official, during the discussion (district staff identified him on the record as "Mister Carter").

The most contested items included funding…