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Budget advisory committee proposes $5M in reductions as community demands higher teacher pay
Summary
Associate Superintendent Evans presented a fiscal stabilization plan calling for $3M in cuts in 2026–27 and $2M in 2027–28 to address multi‑year deficit spending; public commenters—including teachers, parents and unions—urged the board to prioritize teacher pay, health care and safety rather than cuts to student services.
The Oak Grove School District Board on Nov. 13 reviewed a Budget Advisory Committee report that proposes $5 million in reductions across two years as part of a fiscal stabilization plan ordered by the county office of education.
Associate Superintendent Evans summarized the district’s finances and the BAC’s recommendations. He said the district faces a structural deficit driven by revenue/expenditure imbalance, noting general fund revenues of roughly $144 million and projected expenditures that create a gap the county identified as structural. Evans said the district’s special‑education expenditures have grown to about $39.5 million and the state funds roughly $11.3 million of that, leaving a significant general‑fund share.
“We were asked to come up with reductions and plans for our deficit spending by the Santa Clara County Office of Education,” Evans said. He described the BAC process — meetings beginning Sept. 2 with parents, union representatives, site leaders and other stakeholders — and said the committee produced a list of proposed reductions designed to yield $3 million in 2026‑27 and $2 million in 2027‑28 while minimizing direct classroom impacts where possible.
Options discussed include leaving vacancies unfilled, reducing some district office positions, trimming site‑level programs and seeking revenue strategies such as leases or, potentially, a parcel tax that would require a two‑thirds vote. Evans emphasized the plan will be refined and a formal fiscal stabilization plan presented with the first interim report in December.
The meeting’s public comment period—more than two dozen speakers—focused heavily on teacher pay, benefits and classroom safety. Teachers and parents said the district’s compensation is among the lowest in the county and warned that proposed cuts would harm vulnerable students. Several teachers said rising health‑insurance costs and limited pay are forcing colleagues to leave.
“Our teachers are starving and worrying,” said a parent and PTA leader. “They are working more than a 9‑to‑5.” Several speakers called for an impact analysis of proposed cuts, a parcel‑tax feasibility study and for board leadership to prioritize retention and classroom supports over central‑office reductions.
Union representatives from OGEA and classified staff voiced alarm about specific proposed eliminations—community liaison positions and reductions in pupil services—and urged the board to reconsider priorities and identify alternatives to layoffs.
Board members acknowledged the difficulty of the choices and asked staff for impact analyses that quantify effects on attendance, campus safety and instructional support before a final plan is adopted. Trustee [functional label: Trustee] requested an analysis of how proposed reductions would affect student outcomes and safety measures.
What happened at the meeting: the board took no final action to adopt the BAC’s cuts; staff was instructed to continue refining a stabilization plan for board adoption in December alongside the first interim report. Separately, the board approved routine consent items and several action items (see votes and actions list).
