Budget Gaps, Labor Tensions, and What’s Next for WCCUSD
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Three Focal Points of WCCUSD’s Budget Debate
At the October 22 WCCUSD board meeting, the board will review the latest student achievement data (2024-25 state assessment and Fall 2025 i-ready and mCLASS), giving us insight into student learning and progress. Recent board meetings have centered on three interrelated financial issues: the district’s ongoing budget deficit, disagreement over fiscal oversight, and preparations for a possible teacher strike. Together, they reveal how deeply financial management, labor negotiations and student outcomes are connected.
WCCUSD’s 2024-25 “Unaudited Actuals” Report (September 24)
What happened?
At the September 24 meeting, the district presented its “unaudited actuals” for the 2024-25 school year. This report shows what the district actually received and spent, compared to what it had budgeted. This step “closes the books” for that year and prepares the district for their formal audit later this fall.
Here’s what the numbers showed:
- Revenues (money coming in): $507.5 million, about $9.1 million more than projected in May. Increases came from TK expansion dollars, expanded learning grants, state lottery funds, and higher interest earnings.
- Expenditures (money spent): $535.9 million, about $4 million less than projected in May.
While the district saved some money and brought it more than it expected, it is still spending more than it receives. To cover this gap, WCCUSD has been using special reserves, but it continues to face a structural deficit driven by declining enrollment and reduced average daily attendance (ADA) in recent years.
School board rejects budget resolution (October 8)
What Happened?
On October 8, the board considered, but narrowly rejected, a resolution that would have committed WCCUSD to identifying savings or new revenues for 2026-27 and 2027-28 to ensure fiscal solvency. The resolution would have required a detailed proposal by the “second interim” budget report in March 2026.
This resolution was created in response to a letter from the Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools, which gave “provisional” approval to WCCUSD’s 2025-26 budget. The county’s letter required the district to:
- Approve a resolution committing to taking steps by October 10, and
- Submit a preliminary plan by October 31
During a brief 10-minute discussion, the board voted 3-2 against the resolution. Trustees Reckler and Smith-Folds voted in favor and Trustees Enllana, Gonzalez-Hoy, and Hernandez voted against it.
The trustees who opposed the resolution did not publicly explain their votes during the meeting. However, at a follow-up meeting on October 13, Trustee Gonzalez-Hoy shared that he viewed the county’s letter as an overreach, arguing that WCCUSD was being singled out. He said he supports achieving a balanced budget but believed the resolution was premature.
As of mid-October, it remains unclear how the county will respond, though increased county oversight of WCCUSD’s budget appears likely.
Board approves strike preparation measures (October 13)
What Happened?
Labor negotiations between the district and the unions representing teachers and classified staff have been a major focus of recent meetings. Hundreds of teachers, along with families, community members, and city leaders, attended the September 24 meeting to call for a “fair contract.” Public commenters addressed a wide range of issues at stake:
- Pay: “We are 18th out of 19th lowest paid [teachers] in the county” and “every year we’ve heard the same message. Sorry, we don’t have the money to give you a living wage… you get the same money as the rest of the county but we don’t get the same wages because of the choices you made.”
- Understaffing and vacancies that have led to unsustainable workloads: “because of vacancies my colleagues and I are experiencing overcrowded classrooms . . . we must make changes to fully staff our schools and make our work sustainable.”
- Working Conditions: such as classrooms with excessively high temperatures.
Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said the district is bargaining “in good faith” and values “every member of the West Contra Costa family.”
Both the Teamsters (representing classified staff) and United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a possible strike, though one could still be averted if negotiations are successful.
At an unusual daytime “special meeting” on October 13, the board approved a resolution authorizing actions the district could take if a strike occurs. These include:
- Hiring substitute employees, independent contractors, or volunteers to maintain operations, paying substitute teachers up to $550 per day (almost double the current rate, though lower than the district’s original proposal of $750).
- Temporarily reassigning students to alternate schools or sites as needed.
- Requiring the return of district-owned equipment during a strike to “protect district property.”
- Authorizing the district to initiate legal proceedings in opposition to the strike, if the board is unable to hold a special meeting within 24 hours.
The resolution passed 4-1, with Trustees Enlanna, Hernandez, Reckler, and Smith-Folds voting in favor of the resolution and Trustee Gonzalez-Hoy voting against it.
Why are these issues important?
Behind every budget decision are classrooms, educators, and students whose success depends on stability and support. WCCUSD’s recent financial and labor challenges determine whether schools have the teachers, programs, and resources students need every day.
WCCUSD’s latest assessment results show some academic progress, but also deep inequities. Fewer than one in twenty English learners met English Language Arts (ELA) standards last year, underscoring the urgent need for consistent instruction, strong literacy supports and fully staffed schools. (Read our recent WCCUSD student data analysis here).
At the same time, the district continues to fall short of the state requirement to spend at least 55% of its general fund on classroom instruction and support – roughly $11 million below the threshold last year. When too few dollars reach classrooms, it affects teacher pay, staffing stability, and the quality of instruction students receive. (Read more about this issue from our August school board watch).
Strong schools depend on supported educators. When teachers face burnout, turnover, or uncertainty over contract negotiations, students experience disruption in their learning. The district’s financial decisions, how it budgets, what it prioritizes, and how it supports its workforce are all directly tied to student success. Our teachers’ working conditions are our students’ learning conditions.
Transparent, responsible budgeting isn’t just about compliance, it’s about ensuring every dollar helps students learn and thrive.
What can you do?
- Attend the Fiscal Stabilization Plan meetings, at Richmond High, El Cerrito High, and Hercules High (in person or on zoom) to learn more about the district’s financial situation and share your perspectives
- Join the district Budget Engagement Committee to explore district finances and help shape budget discussions alongside district and community leaders.
- Explore resources on GO’s website, including our guide to the school district budget cycle and student-centered budgeting.
- Learn with GO through our Family Leadership Program! Whether you’re new to education advocacy or already showing up at meetings and speaking out, FLP offers tools and support to help you grow your impact.
- Track board votes on financial issues with GO’s Board of Education Vote Tracker, designed to make board decisions more transparent and accessible for the community.
Other meeting highlights
Special Education Services: Several public comments in recent meetings have raised concerns about insufficient special education staffing and the district’s growing reliance on outside contractors, particularly for speech and language therapy. One district Speech-Language Pathologist shared “Student centered is a phrase we hear often in the district, but actions suggest otherwise. Adequate staffing is a basic requirement, but understaffing is denying students the speech services to which they’re legally entitled. The district cites a SLP shortage, but has done little to recruit or retain qualified staff. We are stretched thin across multiple sites with unsustainable case loads. . . . . a problem that’s due to mismanagement.”