Modesto City Schools proposes laying off 93 employees to cut budget as pandemic funds sunset
Modesto City Schools recommends laying off 93 employees — in addition to withdrawing and changing other funding — to reduce its budget by around $11.5 million.
This change of funding, announced during Tuesday night’s board meeting, will affect the 2025-26.
Around 54 classified employees are expected to be laid off at the end of the current school year, pending the approval by the school board on Monday, Nov. 18.
In addition, 22 certificated staff and 17 management positions are expected be laid off.
“In 2020, 9% of students tested at or above the proficient reading level,” said Jewel Zurita, a paraprofessional, during public comment. “Fast forward three years in 2023, that percentage jumps to 33%. I’m gonna say that again. It went from 9% to 33%. I believe that has a ton to do with the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) program and the paraprofessionals that teach it.”
The district said it is required to make cuts and reallocate the budget because pandemic-response funds from the state and federal governments will not be renewed.
“There’s a golden rule in school finance and that has dictated 30 years of service: You never spend one-time funds on people, particularly staff,” said Superintendent Sara Noguchi. “And if you do, then ultimately you have to do those reductions. This isn’t a mismanagement of funds, but it’s a function of using one-time dollars for people.”
Noguchi said the school district went against that “golden rule” because there was an unprecedented amount of money and a need to pivot and innovate during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet students’ needs. She also said that next year, there will be another process the district will work on to eliminate an additional $11 million from the 2026-27 school year budget.
“...Should one-time dollars come to Sacramento, I would recommend these dollars to be used to mitigate next year’s $11 million,” she said.
Modesto City Schools will also recommend reallocating funds for esports, reducing campus supervisors, making cuts in technology, freezing vacant positions and more, to meet the $11.5 million reduction needed this year.
What was the timeline?
Last year, district official were required to identify $11.5 in budget realignment for this school year. The school district then approved the guiding principles to select programs to be reduced, discontinued or renewed.
In December, the school board reviewed and renewed the guiding principles. In September of this school year, it reviewed the timeline, process and guiding principles.
After Tuesday night’s meeting, Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services Brad Goudeau said the district received input from different educational partners during the process.
Some teachers during public comment on Tuesday night claimed the district did not properly talk to teachers about the realignment and cuts.
Kathryn Presley, a teacher at Shackelford Elementary, said among those who were surveyed about these cuts, around 53% were management positions and 24% were from the district office.
“Last year, when this board approved the guiding principles for the sunsetting of COVID funds, I was hopeful that we would take a thoughtful, comprehensive and data-driven approach to the process,” she told the board. “Unfortunately, we missed a critical opportunity to gather comprehensive input by not serving all of our stakeholders.”
Next week, the board will vote on approving the realignment.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
