06/04/2026
Hello WCCUSD,
Last night, the Board of Education received the first draft of the 2026-27 budget, and I’ve spent the last week meeting with district staff, digging through the numbers, asking questions, and trying to understand exactly where we stand after the Governor’s May Revision.
If you’ve been following our district’s budget challenges, you know we’ve already asked our schools to shoulder an enormous burden. This year alone we cut roughly $42 million. The year before, we cut another $10-14 million. Those aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. Those cuts have meant fewer resources, fewer positions, fewer programs, and more uncertainty for the students, staff, and families who depend on our schools every day.
According to staff, the current proposal continues to follow the financial solvency plan approved by the Board in February, which calls for another $14.5 million in reductions next year and beyond. When I voted for that plan, we did not know the state would provide additional funding. Today, we do.
That’s why last night I proposed something different.
The state is providing WCCUSD approximately $21 million through the new SSPD grant. While this funding is one-time funding and not a permanent solution, I believe it gives us an opportunity to stabilize our schools, pause additional reductions, and fully evaluate the impact of the cuts we’ve already made before moving forward with another round.
To be clear, I still believe we need to continue reducing contracts, outsourcing, and other areas where we can become more efficient. But I do not believe our schools should continue carrying the burden while we have resources available that can provide some relief.
And frankly, what concerns me most is that some people continue to push for deeper cuts, school closures, and additional reductions even with this new funding on the table. I think the community deserves to ask a simple question: why?
Is this truly about finances, or is there something else driving these conversations?
The district has already made painful reductions. Our schools are already feeling those impacts. Continuing to pursue more cuts at this scale, despite having resources available to help stabilize the situation, feels less like a financial necessity and more like a policy choice.
I’ve also become increasingly concerned by conversations happening behind the scenes about school closures and consolidation.
No formal proposal has come before the Board, but the reality is that if we start seriously talking about school closures, we’re not talking about closing one or two schools. To generate meaningful savings, we would likely be talking about consolidating and closing multiple schools across our district.
And let’s be honest about where those conversations would likely lead. The communities most impacted would be Richmond, San Pablo, and El Sobrante. The students most affected would likely be students from low-income families and historically underserved communities.
My position on this could not be clearer.
I will not support school closures.
Not because difficult decisions should never be made, but because I do not believe they are necessary right now. I do not believe we have fully understood the impact of the reductions we’ve already implemented, and I do not believe closing schools is the answer to the challenges we face.
In my experience, school closures rarely save the amount of money people promise they will. What they do create is disruption. They disrupt students, families, neighborhoods, and school communities that have often existed for generations.
Right now, our schools need stability. Our educators need stability. Our families need stability.
I believe we can be fiscally responsible while also protecting the students and communities we serve. We should use the resources available to us, continue advocating aggressively for sustainable funding, and focus on strengthening our schools instead of creating more uncertainty.
At the end of the day, every budget is a reflection of our priorities. My priority remains the same as it has always been: protecting students, supporting staff, and ensuring that every community in West Contra Costa has access to a strong public school.
If the legislature disagrees with the governor and gives us the 3.9 billion he had put away in the next few weeks, this will not be necessary. But in the case that does not happen, we must be prepared with a plan.That is what I will continue fighting for, a long term vision while protecting our schools. Thank you
