At its March 13 meeting, members of the Los Banos Unified School District Board spent a good portion of the meeting discussing the budget, present and future. All trustees were present, with Marlene Smith attending via phone call.
Superintendent Mark Marshall reported that almost $16 million dollars of the district’s budget comes from federal funding, especially for the child nutrition program. “About 80% of its (child nutrition program) budget is federal,” he said. Marshall also reported that the federal grants they were applying for have been pulled, and that changes at the federal level may directly affect the school district.
The 2024-25 Second Interim Budget report by Director of Fiscal Services, Melanie Marcella, revealed deficit funding of $1.7 million.
“I’m concerned, and I think we need to be well aware that we can’t continue on this road,” Board President Anthony Parreira said.
Marcella assured the district that they have been relatively conservative with spending compared to other districts, and that on average the district is more financially stable. “We have been careful,” she said.
Trustee Dayna Valadao asked if there would be a plan put in place, “to cut something so we don’t keep deficit spending?”
Marshall responded by stating that 80% of the budget is “people” and that he is looking at that possibility. “Our goal is to make sure student programs are not affected,” he said.
The report by Marshall and Marcella made it clear that if federal funding is lost, other funds will have to be tapped to make up the difference. Cuts will then have to be made. Valadao was still concerned even if federal funding isn’t lost: “To me when I’m deficit spending at home, I know I need to cut something, he said. “It’s reality, it’s not a pleasant thing we have to do. It’s not fun. But something is going to have to be [cut].”
When Trustee Gene Lieb asked if there would be a deadline to have a plan, Marshal responded by saying ‘hard data’ is needed first. “You can’t make any plans until you figure out what is going to happen with [the federal funds],” Marshal said. The board voted unanimously to accept the budget report.
During the facilities report, Facilities and Special Projects Manager Sherry Munday updated the progress on the Transitional Kindergarten Center. Building pads are ready to accept the modular classes as soon as they arrive. Despite rain delays, three modular buildings are planned to be installed by the end of the month. There is still a traffic signal approval that the city has yet to sign off on, once signed off there will be a “six-month lead time,” Munday said.
For other projects the Los Banos High School modernization is pending its Department of State Architect approval. The Los Banos Junior High Schoool walk-in-freezer is complete. The Volta School modernization went to rebidding the day of the meeting. Loftin Stadium phase three is in the design phase as well as the new restroom for Miano Elementary.
The community school’s Family Resource Center will have its initial architect meeting the day after the meeting. A lease agreement for the Family Resource Center at 1209 6th St., Suite C in downtown Los Banos was on the meeting agenda but was pulled without any stated reason.
Community Schools Program Coordinator Heather Wheeler updated the board on the Community Schools Program. A group of program leaders went down to Lancaster, a city with demographics “similar to our own,” Wheeler explained. The group also went to Eastside Union School District, seeing how it used its Community Schools Grant. This helped the group understand how our program should be run. “Both of the school districts were inspiring in the way that they came together in how they’ve focused on supporting families and the services they’ve provided,” Wheeler said.
On March 6, the advisory council of the Community Schools Program had its first meeting over zoom. Fourteen Community Schools Liaisons and a Family Resource Center Supervisor were on the agenda pending approval, “I’m excited for them to come on board,” Wheeler said. The board voted unanimously as part of the consent agenda to hire the15 individuals who are part of the program.
Another part of the consent agenda was the hiring of Rebecca Salinas as Pacheco High School’s permanent principal. She previously had eight years of experience being the summer school principal of Pacheco High before recently becoming the interim principal.
Sypher Lee, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative services, reported on Measure X, a bond measure approved by the board in 2018 to improve safety, modernize, repair, and relieve severe overcrowding. Out of the $65 million total, $45 million has been issued to date. Of the $65 million, $6.5 million has been programmed for modernization, $10.81 million to facility upgrades such as the renovation of Loftin Stadium, $23.96 million programmed to construct Grasslands Elementary School and $23.73 million were programmed to construct the Transitional Kindergarten Center.
Near the end of the meeting, Parreira pointed out that Joanne Mueller June’s Estate donated $50,250 to Los Banos High School, Morning Star Packing Company donated $36,648.43 to Creekside Junior High for its marquee, and Peninsula Clean Energy donated to Pacheco High School for its annual Wax Museum. “We can’t thank these donors enough for this; this is absolutely phenomenal,” Parreira said.
