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The Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District appears on track to meet its financial obligations for the 2024-25 fiscal year and two subsequent years after cuts to staff-time and non-personnel costs, according to its second interim budget report.
The LVJUSD Board of Education voted unanimously for the report’s “positive certification” to denote financial solvency in the current fiscal year and the next two years, at its March 4 regular meeting. This signifies a financial upturn from the first interim budget report due December 2024 that received a “qualified certification”, meaning the district might not have been able to meet its financial obligations for the current or two subsequent years.
The district is able to return to fiscal solvency due to budget reductions approved by the board Feb. 18, including cuts to approximately 40 full-time equivalents, assistant superintendent of business services Kayla Wasley explained.
Despite the positive monetary outlook, the district is still expected to deficit spend until the last projected year of 2026-27. Though deficit spending is projected to shrink from about $14.66 million this fiscal year to just over $650,000 in 2026-27.
Also, staff cuts concerned California School Employees Association president Mamie Kristovich, who said the district has been non-collaborative about reductions and is currently violating the collective bargaining agreement within multiple departments. CSEA has since filed a cease and desist letter with the district regarding the reported violations.
“I’m glad we’re getting out of the qualified and I recognize this is a lot of work to dive through this and figure it out,” Board President Emily Prusso said. “But I think that in order to attract and retain staff and teachers, we have to get to a place where we can be balanced and positive.”
According to the report, the district is projected to meet the minimum reserves requirement of 3% this fiscal year with an unrestricted ending fund balance of $9.4 million or 4.17% of general fund expenditures. The district is also projected to meet the minimum reserves in 2025-26 and 2026-27 with an unrestricted ending fund balances of $6.7 million (3.2% reserve) and $6.4 million (3.2% reserve), respectively.
These projections are based on the period from July 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025 and serves as a guide for staff and the board to make financial decisions. The report also allows the Alameda County Office of Education and state to review the district’s fiscal viability for the current and two subsequent years, according to the report. As one of the three financial statements annually required of school districts — in addition to the adopted budget — the report must be submitted to the county Office of Education by March 15.
Of great uncertainty is the future of federal funding, Wasley said at the meeting. This accounts for about 6% of the district’s revenue and goes toward programs including the School Meal Program, Magnet Grant and School Based Mental Health Grant.
Trustee Steven Drouin expressed concern regarding the district’s compliance and eligibility for federal funding, amid unspecified executive orders under President Donald Trump.
Among his executive orders is “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” wherein schools risk losing federal funding for diversity-related initiatives, according to the White House website.
Wasley explained, the district is being careful about what is included in grants like the mental health grant, to ensure they are not entering the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion.
With regards to the approved staff reductions, including about 11 full-time equivalent CSEA members, Kristovich said the union has not been invited to collaborate with the district.
“Before we eliminate positions, doesn’t it make good business sense to first have a well thought out plan on how the work will get done?” Kristovich asked the board.
Additionally, the the union says the district is violating the collective bargaining agreement with CSEA in several departments, including business services and curriculum. Another violation is anticipated in the special education department given the proposed elimination of 1.0 FTE transportation specialist.
Kristovich explained, duties performed by CSEA members may not be reassigned to classified managers and confidentials, directors, contractors, volunteers or employees in other bargaining units; different classification without negotiations or to the remaining employees in a department with the expectation that the same amount of work be completed.
One reported violation has taken place within business services, where a vacant role of accounting specialist has shifted work onto other employees and the transfer of classified duties to a manager.
An expected lay off of the transportation specialist within the special education department would mean redistribution of the workload, but they could not be transferred to the transportation contractor, as that would violate the collective bargaining agreement.
“The dedicated members of CSEA’s Livermore chapter are asking for the contract violations to stop, now,” Kristovich said. “Please help put an end to the multiple contract violations and insist on the district having meaningful and genuine collaborations with CSEA.”
The district did not respond to a request for comment regarding the cease and desist letter as of Tuesday afternoon.
In response to Kristovich, Trustee Craig Bueno encouraged the district to collaborate with CSEA. “It is concerning when people come forward and address us and say that there’s a lack of collaboration or an absence,” Bueno said. “Whatever it takes, we need to resolve that.”
For Becca Makris, office specialist at Granada High School, layoff notices due by March 15 and subject to retraction are a cause for concern.
“We are all holding our breath, waiting to see what will happen next, but there is no end in sight. We feel like we’re under water with time just ticking away,” Makris said.
The board meeting to determine final staff reductions is scheduled for May 6.
The board also unanimously approved new high school courses including developing mixed choir A/B, intermediate concert choir A/B, chamber winds honors, symphonic band A/B and human anatomy and physiology A/B. All the proposed courses include the California State Standards and support students in their pursuit of college and career readiness, according to the agenda.
