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Dear Santa Rosa City Schools Community,
As we move into the school year, we are committed to working together to identify budget solutions that will allow our district to achieve long-term fiscal solvency. At present, Santa Rosa City Schools’ expenditures are still outpacing our revenue. To continue to regain short and long-term fiscal solvency, we must identify $10 million-15 million in potential budget solutions for Board action by February 2026. Meeting this requirement will necessitate steep and ongoing budget reductions.
Our Board and district leadership are committed to maintaining local control, ensuring that decisions about budgets and resources reflect the values of our community. Like many California districts, we are also facing declining enrollment and insufficient State and Federal funding. Following the decision to consolidate three middle and three elementary school sites, we continue to need to identify further solutions that will be significant in scope.
This work will be done openly, with opportunities for two-way communication among families, staff, students, and community partners. We will explore potential solutions, and recommendations will be carefully considered prior to being brought forward for Board action.
We recognize that approximately 82.6% of our unrestricted budget is dedicated to people, which means that solutions will inevitably affect staff and programs. At the same time, we are also exploring creative ways to generate additional revenue to help lessen the impact of reductions.
The long-term goal of our budget solutions plan is clear: to ensure sustainable, high-quality education for every Santa Rosa City Schools student. By demonstrating good fiscal stewardship, we can chart a sustainable path for Santa Rosa City Schools together that protects our students’ opportunities today and into the future.
Thank you for your partnership as we move forward in this important work.
With respect and gratitude,
Lisa August
Interim Superintendent
Santa Rosa City Schools