Modesto board approves realignment as COVID one-time funds sunset after heated debate

The Modesto City Schools Board of Trustees voted Nov. 18 to approve a staff plan realigning positions and budgets as COVID-era one-time funds come to an end, a move administrators said is necessary to close a looming budget gap.

Deputy Superintendent Brad Gdau told the board the district is managing “nearly $150 million in one-time funds” and that many of those grants have firm expiration dates, forcing staff to propose staged reductions beginning in 2025–26. Staff recommended reductions that would affect MTSS para‑professionals, instructional coaches and campus supervisors, and presented mitigation ideas including revised memoranda of understanding with the teachers’ union to use After‑School (ELOP) funding for portions of coach roles and pursuing Community Schools grants to extend some positions temporarily.

Why it matters: Board members and dozens of teachers, coordinators and union representatives packed the public‑comment period to urge the district to preserve MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Supports) coaching and other instructional supports, arguing those roles have driven recent reading and other learning gains. Several speakers warned that cutting coaches and para‑professionals would harm classroom supports that teachers and students rely on.

Teachers and staff described classroom impacts. Melody McEl, the district’s science curriculum coordinator, said the district will “lose the momentum” on science instruction if science coaches are cut, noting coaches work across many schools. Other speakers highlighted data showing reading-level improvements tied to MTSS and asked trustees to delay action while staff seeks additional funds.

Board discussion focused on timing and tradeoffs. Trustees questioned how many coaches exist in each subject area, which positions are classified versus certificated, and whether vacancies designated as planned cuts could be used to reduce impacts. Trustees repeatedly raised the option of postponing final action to search for grants or state budget changes; staff said the staggered plan spreads reductions over multiple years to avoid taking all cuts at once and that a mid‑year budget workshop is scheduled Feb. 24, 2025, to revisit one‑time funding uses and the governor’s January budget proposal.

Motion and outcome: Trustee Marx moved and Trustee Mahia seconded the staff recommendation; the president announced the motion carried after a roll‑call vote. The transcript’s roll‑call text is partially garbled; the meeting minutes and official district record contain the certified vote tally.

What’s next: Staff said some reductions would take effect in 2025–26 with additional actions possible in 2026–27 if new revenue does not materialize. The district also said it will pursue Community Schools grants, explore workload and calendar adjustments for coaches, and work with the Modesto Teachers Association on MOUs to preserve critical roles where feasible.

The board’s action marks the start of a multiyear process the district framed as difficult but necessary given the expiration of COVID‑era one‑time funds; trustees said they will continue to seek alternatives and review midyear budget information when the state’s budget picture becomes clearer.