Which Sonoma County school districts made budget cuts this year to counter deficit?

All eyes are on Santa Rosa City Schools as the district shutters campuses and lays off staff to address a $20 million shortfall. But declining enrollment and the end of pandemic relief grants have put other school districts across Sonoma County in similar financial distress.

Facing millions in projected budget deficits over the next few years, districts are consolidating schools and slashing staff positions to avoid a crisis that could force state intervention.

Below is a noncomprehensive list of school closures and staff reductions across Sonoma County school districts for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years.

Bellevue Union School District

Schools: 4

City: Santa Rosa

Enrollment (2024-25): 1,641

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $1.5 million

The district is facing a structural deficit and declining reserves in the coming years. It expects to meet the state’s required 3% reserve by cutting spending during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

In January, the school board voted to eliminate 40 full-time classified positions in 2025-26, including student supervisors, office assistants and kindergarten instructional assistants.

Old Adobe Union School District

Schools: 5

City: Petaluma

Enrollment (2024-25): 1,751

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $3.8 million

Despite its deficit, the district expects to maintain reserves at $2.93 million in 2024-25 — 8% of expenses, well above the 3% state minimum. However, reserves are projected to decline to 6.9% in 2025-26 and 3.14% in the 2026-27 school years.

With a long-term goal of maintaining a 17% reserve, the district has confirmed several staff reductions for 2025-26, including eliminating nearly 7.5 full-time positions. This includes a child development coordinator and several instructional assistants.

Additionally, multiple positions will see reduced hours to align with declining enrollment. These reductions total nearly 11.5 full-time positions, saving the district about $1.7 million.

No cuts were made during the 2024-25 school year.

Petaluma City Schools

Schools: 18

City: Petaluma

Enrollment (2024-25): 7,096

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $5.28 million

The district expects to maintain reserves of $4.46 million during the 2024-25 school year. While an upward trend in average daily attendance offers some optimism, the loss of COVID-related funding has forced the district to plan $2 million in cuts for the 2025-26 school year.

On Feb. 25, the school board voted to cut five full-time certificated positions worth $946,000 in cost savings, plus eight classified positions worth $1,066,000 in cost savings.

Positions slated to be eliminated include a district nurse, a career and technical education coordinator, a secretary at McKinley Elementary School, a floating custodian, a student adviser, a mechanic helper, a budget and accounting coordinator, a science teacher on special assignment, and a comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) coordinator.

The district will also merge Valley Vista and Live Oak Charter elementary schools into Valley Vista Public Waldorf for the 2025-26 school year, a decision driven by years of declining enrollment at Valley Vista and inadequate facilities at Live Oak.

Rincon Valley Union School District

Schools: 8

City: Santa Rosa

Enrollment (2024-25): 3,140

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $4.7 million

As a result of declining enrollment, loss of one-time funding (i.e., COVID-19 funds) and a lower-than-expected cost-of-living adjustment, the district decided last month to cut the equivalent of 65 positions at the end of the school year.

The layoffs affect teachers aides, multilingual advocates, nurses, three music teachers and four counselors, and they will also cut the hours of all library clerks in half.

Other cuts aim to eliminate overtime charges, as well as a few committees, and reduce the costs for utilities, supplies and food at campuses.

Through these cuts, the district hopes to save at least $4.5 million. Without them, the district would have to dip into its budget reserve.

Santa Rosa City Schools

Schools: 24

City: Santa Rosa

Enrollment (2024-25): 13,024

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $20 million

Santa Rosa City Schools, the county’s largest district, has received a qualified certification, meaning it may not be able to balance its budget this year or the next.

The district has promised the state at least $20 million in cuts. Failure to meet that target could result in a negative certification, a step toward insolvency and potential state takeover.

Last month, after months of debate, the school board voted to close three elementary schools and three middle schools by the end of the 2025-26 school year. Rincon Valley Middle School, the district’s only remaining middle school, is also expected to close within five years. High schools remained unaffected.

The district will also issue notices for layoffs or reduction in hours to 300 employees.

Sonoma Valley Unified School District

Schools: 8

City: Sonoma

Enrollment (2024-25): 3,061

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $2.3 million

With declining enrollment and ongoing deficit spending, the school board voted last month to eliminate 19 classified and 14 certified positions in the 2025-26 school year.

Cuts include a middle school principal, vice principal and math teacher, along with seven elementary teachers on special assignment, a high school counselor, the districtwide librarian, a psychologist and a special education program coordinator.

Estimated savings include $1.4 million from classified job cuts and $1.73 million from certificated job cuts.

Many of these reductions stem from the consolidation of Adele Harrison Middle School and Altimira Middle School starting in 2025-26. The district will also close one elementary school at the end of that school year.

West Sonoma County Union High School District

Schools: 3

City: Sebastopol

Enrollment (2024-25): 1,576

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $1.69 million

The district expected to meet its financial obligations through 2026-27, including maintaining the 3% minimum reserve.

However, with expenditures projected to exceed revenues, officials are planning staff reductions to prevent further depletion of the fund balance.

In 2025-26, the district will cut six full-time certificated positions and three classified positions. The following school year, the district will cut two certificated positions and one classified position.

Windsor Unified School District

Schools: 7

City: Windsor

Enrollment (2024-25): 4,710

Projected budget deficit (2024-25, unrestricted fund): $3.1 million

The district projected an available reserve of $3.2 million in 2024-25, but this is expected to drop to $2.1 million in the 2025-26 and $1.4 million in the 2026-27 school years.

An interim budget report cited deficit spending due to large union settlements in prior years, rising special education costs and classified staffing shortages.

To counter this, the school board approved the elimination of 16 full-time certificated positions for the coming 2025-26 school year.

However, district officials say most affected staff will be offered other roles.

The district estimates that five certificated staff will lose their jobs outright. And six classified positions will be cut, though all affected employees will be offered positions elsewhere in the district — potentially at reduced pay.

In 2024-25, five employees lost their jobs with no internal placements available.

You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or tarini.mehta@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @MehtaTarini.

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