Consultants School Services of California hired to review District Office organization.
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team hired to analyze budget and expenditures.
Law firm Littler Mendelson hired to advise on contract negotiations with the Teachers Union.
Virtual Board Meetings extended another 30 days
District Finances
The financials are not in good shape. The District has run at a deficit for several years, with expenditures exceeding revenues by millions of dollars per year. These deficits have been funded by reducing the bank balance (reserves) each year, and these deficits are forecast to continue for the next several years. If we don't solve our budget problems, we are at risk of having the District fall below a minimum reserve level which would lead to the government stepping in to run our schools.
To find ways to reduce expenses, the Board approved a contract with Consultants School Services of California. They will look at ways to improve efficiency at the District level.
The Board also approved contracting with Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). FCMAT assists California's K-14 school districts in identifying, preventing, and resolving financial challenges.
It is important that we start this analysis as soon as possible.
The Board voted 3-1 to authorize these contracts, with Trustee Young the dissenting vote.
Teachers Union Contract Negotiations
The contract between the teachers union (SDFA) and the District expired in June of 2021, and a new one needs to be negotiated. Negotiations would normally have started months ago but were delayed by the union in hopes that they would be successful in gaining a majority of the seats on the board with the special election and the recall. With the failure of the recall effort, negotiations will begin soon.
At today's meeting the Board approved hiring the law firm Littler Mendelson to provide advice and counsel to the Board during the negotiations. Littler Mendelson is the largest labor and employment law firm in the US.
The Board voted 3-1 to authorize this contract, with Trustee Young the dissenting vote.
Virtual Board Meetings
The State of California allows board meetings of public agencies, such as our school board, to be held virtually over the internet, provided that the authorization is renewed every 30 days. The thirty-day window would have expired before the next regularly scheduled board meeting on November 18th, hence the necessity for a special meeting to extend for another thirty days. The Board voted 4-0 for extension.