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Trustees debate $7,500 EDC membership; Sharp urges suspension, board agrees to review next year
Summary
At the June 25 meeting trustees questioned the value of SCOE's $7,500 membership in the Solano Economic Development Corporation (EDC). After a wide-ranging exchange the board adopted the 2025–26 budget and agreed to review the membership and deliverables next year, voting 6–1 to adopt the budget with that direction.
Trustees at the Solano County Board of Education on Wednesday sharply questioned whether the county office’s $7,500 membership in the Solano Economic Development Corporation delivers measurable benefits for students and schools.
Kelly Birch, SCOE’s director of career and college readiness and youth development, and Siobhan Dill, executive director of specialized services, told the board the EDC gives education “a seat at the table” with regional economic and workforce leaders and helps connect students to internships and work-based learning. “My recommendation to the superintendent is that we retain our membership,” Birch said, arguing the EDC’s Moving Solano Forward 3 plan mentions education repeatedly and that the organization can help align CTE pathways with local industry.
Several trustees pushed for clearer deliverables. Trustee Sharp said the board has seen limited evidence of direct benefits and urged stronger action: “I implore you, pull the money, pull our membership, give the EDC a year to get their act together and revisit this.” Other trustees said staying involved can yield opportunities to question leadership and press for results, and staff noted lower-tier membership options at $3,000 and $1,000.
The discussion carried into budget consideration: Trustee Cohen Thompson offered a substitute motion to adopt the budget as presented while directing staff to return next year with reports that would allow the board to evaluate the membership. That substitute motion passed; the budget adoption vote was recorded 6–1. The board did not immediately suspend the membership but instructed staff to hold the EDC to clearer reporting and to return with deliverables the board can assess next year.
What’s next: Trustees asked staff to provide a written breakdown of membership tiers and a follow-up report on specific EDC activities that have benefited SCOE programs. The superintendent’s office will include any incoming letters about the EDC in the candidate packet process when relevant, and trustees said they expect concrete evidence of partnerships or programming before considering permanent removal of the membership.
