Modesto schools to phase out some programs as COVID funds dry up. How the process will work
Modesto City Schools over the next two years will gradually phase out programs in light of COVID-19 funds going away, district Superintendent Sara Noguchi and Associate Superintendent Tim Zearley reported at the Sept. 25 Board of Education meeting.
This is because funding from the state and federal governments was aimed at responding to the pandemic and will not be renewed.
As a result, over 41 programs are set to be reviewed while the school district decides what to keep, reduce or eliminate. The decision is to be made in the next three months to align the school district’s programming with the 2024-25 and 2025-26 budgets. The exact figure on how much money is at stake with COVID-19 funds will be determined in the coming months, according to the district.
At the next board meeting, Nov. 6, the district will seek approval for “Guiding Principles & Process for Sunsetting COVID Funds” that will be used as a foundation to assess and select programs for discontinuation.
The following week, in the superintendent’s strategic planning meeting, district staff will determine which programs will be reduced and identify a two-year time frame to begin the reductions.
On Nov. 20, staff will come back to the school board for review of recommendations, and at the Dec. 11 board meeting, trustees will vote on the them.
“A portion of these funds have already been removed from our budget, while others will sunset over the next two years,” said Modesto City Schools’ Chief Communications Officer Sharokina Shams. “Like other districts, we will have to make difficult decisions as a result of the fact that COVID funds are sunsetting. Our guiding principles lie at the heart of this process and our decisions will prioritize the well-being of our students.”
Parents can find details about the school board meetings here.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
