Oxnard trustees weigh cuts, vendor oversight as staff reductions loom

The Oxnard School District Board of Trustees spent much of its March 11 meeting on the district’s fiscal outlook, potential personnel reductions and several contract votes.

Budget Advisory Committee lead Miss Pivko told trustees the committee has been mapping recommendations against restricted and unrestricted funding and preparing for required steps in the layoff process. She said preliminary layoff notices were authorized at the Feb. 18 meeting and that individual notices would be issued on or before March 15; the district expects a due‑process period in March and April and final board action on personnel reductions in May. Staff and trustees described an enrollment decline of roughly 400 students projected for the coming year and the following year as a primary driver of budget cuts.

Pivko and district leaders highlighted the difference between unrestricted base funding (LCFF) — which covers salaries and site operations — and restricted dollars that fund specific programs. They said audits and legal requirements limit how restricted funds can be used, so the district must carefully identify allowable shifts while reducing unrestricted spending to meet an estimated $15 million target.

Trustees pressed staff on specific impacts and asked for clearer, earlier information. In a lengthy discussion trustees raised three recurring concerns: protecting essential services, minimizing harm to students and staff, and examining non‑salary expenditure lines and vendor contracts as part of the fiscal solution. Trustee Salas proposed a resolution asking for earlier board reporting on high‑cost contracts and renewal timelines; the item was discussed at length but no motion to adopt it was called and the item died for lack of motion.

Staff provided several concrete figures. Facilities staff said the district currently has about 98 custodians while a commonly used CASBO staffing formula would indicate about 58 custodians for current square footage and classrooms; the district identified 24 custodial positions for potential reduction as a start toward aligning staffing to pre‑COVID levels. Staff also discussed shifting some part‑hour clerical roles to full‑time roles at selected sites to reduce turnover among paraeducators and specialized support staff.

On action items the board voted on several contracts and personnel items. Key votes and outcomes included: - Approval of a reconstituted painter classification to replace an abolished maintenance position (motion passed 3–2). Trustees said the job will replace an open slot and is funded from routine restricted maintenance funds. - Tabling of an agreement with a benefits enrollment vendor (Ward Services) after trustees requested more information about vendor pricing, long‑term costs and access for employees. Staff warned tabling could delay open enrollment timelines unless staff proceed with a paper process or extend deadlines. - Approval of a contract vehicle with Sunburst Workforce Advisors to provide temporary specialists (speech, LVN, OT, ASL supports) when direct hires are unavailable; staff said the district has reduced reliance on temp agencies by successful direct recruiting. - Approval of an agreement for specialized central auditory processing (CAPD) diagnostic services when Ventura County Office of Education cannot meet timelines; trustees asked staff to seek local alternatives where available and ensure interpretation and transportation supports for families. Board recorded at least one dissenting vote on that contract. - Approval of tutoring and program agreements for Professional Tutors of America and PRIDE Learning, with trustees urging staff to negotiate lower rates where possible and prioritize in‑house staffing. - Approval of abolishment of specified vacant classified positions; staff confirmed abolishments apply only to vacant roles.

Throughout the day the superintendent and labor partners emphasized ongoing negotiation and promised continued outreach to impacted employees. Trustees asked staff to return with more detailed, timely reports on vendor contracts, the impact of proposed reductions on site operations and options that minimize personnel losses where legally permissible. The board also accepted a second interim budget certification that staff said meets the state’s minimum 3% reserve requirement while projecting deficit spending in out years under current assumptions.

Trustees and staff said work will continue through the spring: more budget advisory meetings, targeted vendor reviews, and negotiation with labor partners ahead of any final actions in May.