Budget Plan, Possible Cuts Required For West Contra Costa Unified To Settle Contract Talks With Teachers Union

By Ali Tadayon, EdSource

February 9, 2023

As contract negotiations come to a head between West Contra Costa Unified and its teachers union, the United Teachers of Richmond, the Contra Costa County Office of Education issued a stark warning letter to the district Tuesday that without budget cuts and adjustments, it won’t be able to afford its current spending plan.

That spending plan includes the raises for teachers and school staff that the district currently plans to propose in order to settle the negotiations, expected to cost $27 million annually.

The letter comes in the form of a “going concern determination,” changing West Contra Costa Unified’s budget certification from “positive” to “qualified” — meaning the district is at risk of insolvency and may not be able to meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year or the two after that. The determination also requires the district’s school board to approve a “detailed budget revision” prior to committing to the salary settlement.

District representatives weren’t immediately available for comment Thursday.

If County Superintendent Lynn Mackey doesn’t believe the district’s revision plan is sufficient, she has the power to rescind it and consult with the district and school board to impose a different one, according to the letter.

The letter cited several reasons in addition to the settlement proposal for the determination, including the school board’s March 9 decision to reject a district proposal for layoffs and vacant positions eliminations and the district’s continued use of reserve funds. Not accounting for the proposed salary settlement, the district projected a $26.9 million deficit for 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The letter also pointed out the district’s “history of declining enrollment while not reducing staffing to match the decline.”

The determination comes about a month before United Teachers of Richmond can legally strike, weeks after a fact-finding hearing scheduled for Feb. 16. That makes for a challenging timeline for the district to develop a budget revision plan and get it approved by both the County Superintendent and the school board before a possible strike.

United Teachers of Richmond President John Zabala said the union has been and will continue to “advocate for a responsible budget,” but the determination will not change its demand for raises. Zabala said the union’s demands for competitive wages are essential for educators to remain working and living in the Bay Area.

“Since we started, we have told the district they need to reprioritize their budget to focus on the classroom and to prevent more losses of students and educators,” Zabala said. “… It’s time for district management to stop spending on central office positions and contracted services and reprioritize students and educators.”

To get more reports like this one, click here to sign up for EdSource’s no-cost daily email on latest developments in education.

EdSource works to engage Californians on key education challenges with the goal of enhancing learning success. It does so by providing timely, useful and accurate information to key education stakeholders and the larger public; advancing awareness of major education initiatives being implemented in California and nationally; and highlighting effective models and strategies intended to improve student outcomes, as well as identifying areas that are in need of repair or reform