The Coronado Unified School District board members met on Thursday, December 14 where they elected new officers and discussed upcoming challenges relating to the CUSD budget. The trustees elected Alexia Palacios-Peters as board president, and Whitney Antrim was nominated to be vice president. Antrim turned down the nomination because of her commitment as a delegate to the California School Boards Association, and Mal Sandie was given the role. The trustees named Scot Youngblood as clerk.
Budget Report
Donnie Salamanca, Deputy Superintendent, presented the First Interim Budget report, drawing concerns from trustees. While they voted to authorize a positive certification for the budget, the report reflected some declines in revenue tied to decisions made in Sacramento. Most notably, the cost of living adjustment (CoLA) is projected to be much lower than expected, down from 3.94% to 1%, according to Salamanca.
This, coupled with continued declining school enrollment–which is seen across the state–means that, if no changes are made, CUSD may not be able to operate in the surplus until it reaches Basic Aid in 2027-2028. A Basic Aid district, according to administrators, is one that is fully-funded from local property taxes.
“This the first time that we are having to say that we may not have a complete bridge to Basic Aid,” said Salamanca.
In addition, one-time COVID moneys will be exhausted a the end of the fiscal year. The district has relied heavily on them to increase staffing and provide additional post-pandemic support, according to Salamanca. Meanwhile, costs related to health insurance and utility expenses are going up.
“The fiscal cliff is coming, we will be keeping our eyes on this,” said Trustee Whitney Antrim. “It makes me nervous, and we will be discussing this as a board in the coming months because we will have to do some belt-tightening, as I see it.”
Salamanca also noted that while there are 350 fewer students attending Coronado schools, CUSD is still staffed at pre-pandemic levels. The largest expenditure for the district, he said, is salaries and benefits.
“Should our declining enrollment trends continue, a rough estimate would be 100 less students which equates to a reduction of 1.2 million dollars,” said Salamanca.
Superintendent Karl Mueller shared that the district is going to have to take a critical look at a few areas within the budget that may impact the bottom line. He said that Interdistrict Transfers (IDTs) are likely to play an important role in coming years, not just for the budget, but for the district’s ability to offer a robust instructional program and courses for students.
“In order for us to bridge this gap to Basic Aid, we are going to have a take a critical look at how many IDTs we accept moving forward for 2023-2024 and beyond to sustain and strengthen programs, and also for budget stability,” said Mueller. “This governing board will have to engage in rigorous dialogue around the future of our IDT program and what are we doing to attract students.”
Salamanca said that members of the public are invited to attend the upcoming CUSD budget study meeting which takes place on February 28, 2024.
Board Reports and Presentations
CUSD recognized exceptional student athletes from Islander cross country and water polo. Coach George Green shared that his cross country team was able to dominate events with strong freshmen representation, while coach Jesse Smith introduced his Division I winning water polo team.
In reports, Associated Student Body President Wyatt Riebe shared that Artisans Alley was a huge success, and the CHS “Every 15 Minutes” program on alcohol awareness had a big impact. Riebe also announced that he will be attending Vanderbilt University in the fall.
Jennifer Landry, the President of Association of Coronado Teachers, shared news about the passing of Melinda Clay, who worked in the office at Village Elementary. Clay had worked at all four schools during her tenure at CUSD, and will be missed by students and staff.
Public Comments
In public comments, community member Ann Sonne expressed concern over some of the books available at school libraries, which she referenced as pornographic. She said that last year she distributed packets that included excerpts from some of the books to board members and asked them to develop a policy to remove the books from schools. Sonne said was disappointed that the issue was never put on an agenda, even though she said it was gaining traction in the community. She asked that the board develop a policy that assumed responsibility for the books students have access to.
“If a serial predator offered some of the same books to schools on the sidewalks next to our schools they would be arrested,” she said. Later, she added, “I would like to see this on the agenda, I think it would inform all of us and help us feel better about our schools.”
She then distributed several of the books to each board member. At least two of the books centered on LGBTQ themes.
The next board meeting is set for 4pm on January 18 at the District Office.
