What is Rightsizing?

Deficit spending in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. It's similar to a household budget, where spending can happen strategically from a savings account. However, a budget cannot sustain this long-term over time and maintain a healthy, balanced budget. We are not in an emergency; however, we do need to address the deficit spending in order to avoid an urgent fiscal situation in the future.

A presentation was made to the Board of Trustees and the community at a special meeting on September 30. View the recorded budget, staffing, and enrollment presentation here (staffing and budget slides and enrollment slides). Additionally, the district held staff and community forums on October 22 where participants had the opportunity to ask questions following a presentation. View the presentation slides here, and these FAQs were developed from the questions asked at the forums.

We are aligning all spending, staffing, and programs with the district's financial reality and student enrollment. The goal is to complete the reductions in one year to avoid continued deficit spending, while ensuring our staff and community have awareness and engagement opportunities in the process.

We are gathering the exact figures and will share that information as soon as it becomes available. We recognize that the district has relied heavily on consultants in the past, and this is an area we are actively reviewing with the goal of reducing those costs and increasing internal capacity wherever possible.

We are reviewing all spending practices, including travel, conference participation, and food for meetings. These expenses are being evaluated as part of our broader effort to align resources with district priorities. We have guiding principles in place for these types of expenditures, and they will be reviewed and revised to ensure responsible use of funds.

No. As a basic aid district, our revenues come primarily from local property taxes, not from state funding that fluctuates with student enrollment. However, enrollment still has a significant impact on how the district operates. The number of students determines how many teachers, support staff, and programs are needed to provide high-quality services.

We are reviewing all retreats and leadership events together as part of our effort to ensure that every expenditure provides clear value and aligns with district priorities. The superintendent’s retreat is designed to focus leadership teams on goals, collaboration, and strategic direction, but we also recognize the need to be fiscally responsible. Options such as shortening the retreat or reducing associated costs are actively being discussed and remain on the table.

Decisions regarding potential reductions or adjustments are made through a collaborative process that incorporates input from educational partners. Ultimately, it is the superintendent’s responsibility to develop and present a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which then takes formal action. This step is expected to occur around February as part of the rightsizing timeline.

The district is actively reviewing all departments and positions — including management, classified, and certificated roles — as part of the rightsizing process. Nothing is off the table for discussion. We intend to share recommendations for the district office first, demonstrating our commitment to leading by example. The goal is to ensure that decisions are made fairly and transparently, without efforts to shield the district office or administrative positions from review.

While rightsizing could be done over multiple years, it would make the process more difficult and drawn out. Spreading it out means the district would face the same challenges year after year, preventing us from stabilizing and moving forward as a community to achieve our goals for students. The current plan is to complete the major rightsizing work within one school year so that the district can heal, adjust, and refocus on student success. However, we will continue to evaluate the process and adjust if needed.

Over 95% of our budget is allocated to staff salaries and benefits. Unfortunately, this means some very difficult decisions this school year. As we strategically budget for our current reality of declining enrollment, we are reviewing all expenses and programs to identify areas where we can make savings. With declining enrollment, the unfortunate reality is that some teaching and support positions will be included as we have fewer students to serve than we did five years ago. Our goals include a compassionate and transparent process that minimizes disruption to students as we go through our staffing and budgeting cycle for the 2026-2027 school year.

We are committed to ensuring that our four principles guide our process. The principles include "Students First," a core value in SCUSD. Students are our top priority. While we examine all expenses, our goal is to minimize direct student impact and keep changes as far away from classrooms as possible, so that we can maintain a focus on high-quality programs and academic outcomes for all students. Our focus is on ensuring students have the support they need to make progress. We will review caseloads and results data to inform decisions regarding support staff.

The district is not focusing on furlough days or salary reductions.

The district’s budget does not separate District Office (DO) staff as a standalone category. Salaries are broken down by school site and DO classified management, certificated management, classified staff, and certificated staff. We understand there are questions about how DO staffing has changed over time, and we are reviewing this information carefully. As part of the rightsizing process, the district is conducting a critical review of central office staffing levels to ensure resources are allocated effectively in support of students and schools.

Our district currently employs 60 TOSAs, who serve as an important resource in supporting teaching, learning, and equitable outcomes for students. The role of TOSAs is frequently discussed in budget discussions, and we acknowledge the importance of examining this area carefully and equitably.

While overall student enrollment has declined, staffing decisions are influenced by a variety of factors beyond total enrollment numbers. In some cases, positions were reassigned or placed to meet specific program and student needs, particularly in special education. Even when a general education class has lower enrollment, it may include students with special education services who are mainstreamed into a general education classroom for part of the day. Under the teachers’ contract, if three or more students with special education needs spend three or more periods in a general education class, those students count toward the class size. Additionally, the district overestimated the number of teachers required in certain areas of the school district.

We recognize the importance of understanding the impact of every position and program, even in areas where standardized test scores aren’t the best measure of success. Ideally, each program would begin with clear metrics and goals established from the start — and that’s where we’re working to improve. Right now, we’re focusing on gathering data that tells each program’s story:

1. Are students showing growth and improvement over time?
2. Are there adjustments we can make to help students grow even more?

Our goal is to establish consistent and collaboratively agreed-upon metrics so that expectations are clear from the outset and success can be measured meaningfully. Setting these benchmarks is essential to understanding ROI and ensuring that every resource supports student learning and growth.

The goal of rightsizing is not to target support staff or those closest to students first, but to look comprehensively at all areas of the organization to ensure we’re using resources effectively. We absolutely want to protect critical supports for students, but we also need to ask whether those supports are the right ones to help students move forward. In some cases, very small class sizes may not always lead to stronger outcomes. We’re examining student growth data across all settings to ensure that every position and program is making a measurable impact. When it comes to support staff, we also consider caseloads, service models, and student needs to make sure staffing is both as equitable and effective as possible.

If any positions are reduced or eliminated, the district will follow established reduction and transfer procedures in accordance with contractual agreements and collective bargaining provisions. Our goal is to have the transfer lists ready in time for the first round of transfers, which typically occurs in February. However, the exact timeline depends on discussions with our labor partners, since details such as tie-breaker criteria and priority placement areas must be mutually agreed upon. Our commitment is to ensure the process is transparent, timely, and fair.

Our goal is to protect services and supports for English language learners as much as possible. These programs are essential to ensuring that all students have equitable access to learning opportunities. That said, if the district is found to be overstaffed in a particular area, adjustments may be made. Any staffing changes will be made carefully and strategically, with the intention of minimizing the impact on ELL students and programs.

We aim to maintain and enhance academic quality by applying an equity lens during rightsizing, prioritizing resources for historically underserved groups, including students with special education needs and English language learners. The process will include program evaluation to ensure that programs are effective, students are showing growth, and resources are aligned equitably to support success. The overall intent is to align resources to programs and services that are most effective in supporting student growth.

This is not being considered for the 2026-2027 school year. The district is reviewing all programs, including choice programs, to understand their impact on neighborhood schools and overall student access. Conversations about the future of programs will continue to ensure decisions reflect both student needs and district priorities.

We are taking a closer look at our athletics programs to identify operational inefficiencies and establish consistent standards moving forward. This includes meeting with high school leadership teams to review current programs and practices. Athletics are a vital part of our school culture, and we want to ensure that all programs are equitable and inclusive. To better understand the culture around athletics, a survey will be sent out to gather input from students, staff, and families. Our goal is to ensure that athletic opportunities are balanced between boys’ and girls’ programs and that all sports receive the support and attention they deserve. We are committed to providing equitable access and support for all student athletes, regardless of gender or sport.

Yes. As part of rightsizing an organization, even as we make difficult budget decisions, there are some areas that may continue to grow or receive additional support because they are essential, including those that ensure equity and student well-being. Programs that support English learners and student wellness are examples of areas that may need enhanced resources to meet student needs. The district is committed to taking an equitable approach — focusing resources where they will have the greatest impact on student growth, inclusion, and success.

Families and staff have multiple opportunities to be involved in the decision-making process. The district actively sought input through budget forums and a survey in October. This helped us learn the ideas and priorities of our staff and community. We continue to use labor partners and district leadership groups as feedback loops throughout the process, and the FAQ Form remains open for our educational partners to ask any questions that aren’t covered in this FAQ section.

All feedback from the online survey will be reviewed, themed, and summarized by a small team of three staff members who have access to the survey results. Dr. Wright also has access to the data. The data summary will be shared with Executive Cabinet for consideration. The survey results are one important source of input among many in this process. Staff and community feedback will help inform discussions and guide decision-making, along with other data.

We are not currently planning or discussing any school closures or consolidations. However, as part of our long-term planning, this is a topic the district may need to consider in the future. Any potential decision around school consolidation would be a multi-year process — involving at least one year of study and another year or two of communication and community engagement. In the meantime, we are exploring opportunities to generate additional revenue from district-owned properties, such as leasing or selling unused sites. As a note, by law, any funds from the sale of district property must be placed in a facilities fund (not the general fund), which can only be used for future facility improvements.

The relocation is funded through Measure BB, the same source used for other major district construction projects. These are specialized funds that can only be used for specific purposes and do not impact the district’s general fund.

The decision to build new schools was based on five to ten years of study and planning that considered projected residential growth in those specific areas of the district. These schools were designed to ensure that future students in new housing developments would have neighborhood schools nearby. The projects were funded entirely with restricted funds from general obligation bond measures, meaning the money can only be used for construction and facilities — not for staffing, programs, or general operations.

We value our partnerships with community organizations and recognize the important role they play in supporting our students and families. However, it’s important to note that district tax dollars are intended to fund the instruction of students, not to subsidize the operating costs of community use. When community groups use district facilities, it creates additional expenses — such as utilities, custodial services, and maintenance. To mitigate these costs, the district charges facility use fees. These fees help ensure that community use remains accessible while protecting the resources needed for student learning and classroom instruction.

Safety is a top priority for the district. We have a dedicated district team that actively addresses these incidents and continually strengthens our security measures. We are currently reviewing and standardizing safety procedures throughout the district to further strengthen and ensure safe environments for our students and staff.

The district is carefully analyzing why families leave and exploring ways to strengthen enrollment and retention. We have tools to track students who leave our district, which helps us understand patterns and inform future planning. However, if a student has never attended one of our schools, it's very hard to monitor them. Some challenges are driven by broader trends — data from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) projections indicate that Santa Clara County will have one of the five largest declines in student enrollment in California over the next decade. This is due to factors such as declining birth rates, the high cost of living (with the median home price in Santa Clara City exceeding $2 million), and changes in work-from-home policies that allow families to move to more affordable areas.

The district is not currently considering eliminating busing. However, as part of the longer-term rightsizing process, we are reviewing all programs and services, including transportation, to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible.