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During the latest Dublin Unified School District board meeting, community members, educators, parents and staff were left confused and emotional after hearing budget reduction proposals expected to impact staff and school services in the near future.
In order to counteract an incoming deficit, projected by district staff as upwards of $3 million, leaders compiled a list of reduction suggestions.Â
Chris Hobbs, assistant superintendent of business services, delivered the main budget reduction proposal to the board. He explained that due to projected large deficits in funding and revenue, cost cuts would be mandatory to maintain district operations.
“When the board adopted its budget in June of 2023 for this current year, we provided a multi-year projection based on the information that was available to us. Part of that information included reasonably robust COLAs (cost of living adjustment) for the years of 2024, 2025 and 2026,” said Hobbs.
“In June that COLA was forecasted to be 3.94%. When we did the first interim budget presentation (in December 2023), that number looked like it was going to be dramatically lower. We ended up presenting a COLA of 1.27%,” Hobbs continued.Â
Superintendent Chris Funk shared a framework outlining the district’s main priorities. Student outcomes placed first, followed by social emotional wellness, professional learning community, curriculum and instruction and equity mindset.
“This is the framework we used when we started thinking about where we can find reductions in the organization that have the least amount of impact on student achievement. We wanted to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible,” Funk said.
According to the staff report, essential personal, wellness support, outside contracts and district programs were examined for possible areas of reduction.
“The governor has made his budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year. He is telling us the COLA is going to be 0.76%. That change represents an over $4 million decrease in our revenue that we had been projecting for our 2024-25 year,” said Hobbs. “That hit goes right to our bottom line.”Â
“If we don’t do anything and continue what we’re doing, we end up with basically no ending fund balance for 2025, 2026 or beyond. The size of those deficits will have increased each year,” Hobbs added.
Hobbs shared the recommended actions that totaled a $3 million reduction in spending. These actions included workforce cuts and the loss of select services and programs.Â
“To get to a $3 million reduction, we are recommending seven certificated non-management (1% of workforce category), one of classified non-management (0.3% of category), 5.5 of management (8.3% of category) and $700,000 reduction of services,” said Hobbs.Â
Hobbs then presented a list of specific positions that staff is recommended to cut, they include a social worker, nurse, elementary science teachers (3.3), public information officer, IT supervisor, maintenance supervisor, special assignment teacher (1) and others.Â
Staff looked at increasing the cuts up to $4 million, which would include cutting six custodial positions and three teachers on special assignments.
Following the presentation, community members spoke out largely against the type and amount of reductions suggested.
Keoki Yee, a DUSD computer technician, offered his reactions.
“Whenever we go through reductions, more and more classified employees are getting cut. We are always on the bottom and we are the lowest paid group here in Dublin,” Yee said. “Most of us have to take a second job, even some teachers have to take a second job. But I’ve never heard anyone in the management group say they have to take a second job.”Â
“If we cut six of those custodian positions, does that mean we will be opening up Emerald High School without custodians?” Yee asked.
Monica Lewis, a Fallon Middle School teacher and member of the Dublin Teachers Association, called attention to how the proposed cuts would impact students.Â
“Students only have one chance at a school year. If we are saving all of this money in our reserve funds and not investing that money into teaching and learning, the students will feel it the most,” Lewis said. “Those students don’t get another chance, they don’t get another seventh grade, they don’t get another senior year.”Â
Members of the board offered their comments on the proposal.
“What we’re doing here is not the end, there’s going to need to be further reductions,” Area 5 Trustee Dan Cherrier said. “Reserves we can dip into are just not there anymore. It’s time for the board to start making some harder choices going ahead.”Â
Area 4 Trustee Gabi Blackman echoed Cherrier’s sentiment, saying while difficult the cuts are necessary for DUSD.
“It’s not easy to have to cut, but I will say it’s easier to cut now than when you wait too long and those costs and expenses are so large that what you’re cutting is actually necessary,” said Blackman.Â
Blackman expressed interest in increasing the total amount of cuts from $3 million.
“I’m not against looking at the idea of cutting $4 million because I know that next year we will be faced with just as many cuts and it’s going to be even harder. If there is any way to compound the savings by taking a larger cut now, as hard as it may be, I think it will actually ease the issues we will be facing next year,” she said.
“We offer a world-class education, but based on our financial situation, we have to look at doing things slightly differently,” Funk added.Â
District staff said resolutions are expected to be brought back at the next board meeting set for next Tuesday (Feb. 27). During that time, the board will make a decision on what action plan to begin implementing within the district.Â
