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Antioch Unified board approves near‑term reductions while exempting key student supports in 3–2 vote
Summary
After hours of public comment and a cash‑flow briefing from the state's fiscal team, the Antioch Unified School District board voted 3–2 (with one abstention) May 14 to adopt a package of proposed budget reductions while excluding certain student‑support positions; trustees also approved furloughs for management and a districtwide compensation study.
The Antioch Unified School District Board of Education voted May 14 to adopt a package of proposed budget reductions aimed at addressing a multi‑year structural deficit, approving the measure on a roll call that produced three votes in favor, two opposed and one abstention.
The vote followed more than two hours of public comment in which teachers, parents and students urged the board to protect counselors, paraprofessionals, bilingual aides, behavioral specialists and special education supports. An Antioch Education Association representative told trustees the cuts were painful but argued they were preferable to state receivership: “We cannot lose local control and be put under the authority of the state,” the speaker said, urging the board to prioritize transparency around consultant and legal spending.
Nut graf: The board moved with the aim of meeting a county timeline for a fiscal plan while preserving some district services. The approved staff proposal—roughly $18.8 million in reductions—was adjusted during debate so that several student‑facing roles were explicitly removed from the list of positions to be eliminated. Trustees said the exemptions seek to balance immediate fiscal obligations with maintaining services that district leaders and advocates identified as legally required or high priority.
District staff presented the adopted package as a six‑part plan that includes certificated and classified staffing adjustments, a modest management furlough, non‑payroll cuts and a small reallocation of positions paid from bond funds. Doctor Camille Johnson and Director Kelly Quinn explained the mechanics of the reductions and noted that some positions listed on the resolution were supported by one‑time or grant funding that expires this year; restoring such positions would increase the general‑fund deficit if new funding were not identified.
Several trustees said they were acting under time pressure. Trustee Antonio (speaker 8) argued the board needed to use available levers now rather than lose the chance to implement labor‑savings reductions before statutory deadlines. Trustee Mary Rocha pressed staff repeatedly for data about how specific cuts would affect special education caseloads and compliance; staff replied that work on ratios, allocation formulas and a concurrent special‑education service review is underway.
In the roll call on the key motion (Resolution 25‑26‑62 as amended to exclude instructional bilingual assistants, behavior‑support specialists and BCBAs), Trustees Hernandez, Cobo Smith and President Jag Lathan voted yes; Trustee Rocha voted no; Trustee Brown abstained. That motion was followed by separate votes to adopt the Administrative Law Judge decision authorizing certificated layoffs and a classified‑services resolution that reflected the board’s agreed exemptions. Board minutes show the certified and classified layoff authorizations passed by similar majorities with one abstention noted.
The board also approved a one‑day furlough for certain senior managers and confidential staff as an immediate, modest savings measure, and approved contracting School Services of California for a district‑wide compensation study to inform longer‑term decisions about salary schedules.
What’s next: Staff will transmit the board‑approved list of reductions and the required materials to the county office as part of the district’s fiscal recovery steps. The board scheduled follow‑up meetings to review results of the compensation study and to finalize any September adjustments tied to the broader fiscal‑solvency plan.
Vote and action summary: The record shows the principal budget‑reduction motion passed 3–2 with one abstention; the board approved certificated and classified layoff resolutions and the furlough resolution (furlough vote was unanimous), and approved the compensation‑study contract with a single no vote. The board directed staff to continue analyzing options (attrition, targeted restorations if new revenue appears) and to consult the county office of education as it finalizes the fiscal‑stability plan.
The meeting closed with trustees agreeing to return the CBO and associate superintendent job descriptions and related salary recommendations for board action at a future meeting, after the compensation study provides additional data.
