The West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) is facing a financial crisis. The district’s budget reflects an approximately $1.35 M gap between revenue and expenses beginning in the 2021-22 school year; reserves are projected to be depleted by June 2022.
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There are two ways to close a funding gap: with increased revenues or with decreased expenses. The district has identified several ways to cut costs other than closing a school. Some possibilities include: eliminating under-enrolled class sections; shifting to the more common six period schedule from the current more costly seven period schedule; relocating Laguna High School to the El Molino campus; and/or relocating the district office to the El Molino campus. [continue reading]

An upcoming decision by the West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) Board of Trustees to potentially close one of our high school campuses has taken the West County community by surprise. There are many who would like more time to evaluate the community impact of closing one or more of our campuses and explore potential alternatives to a school closure. Meanwhile, others fear losing arts, elective, and athletics programming if consolidation does not occur as soon as the start of the 2021-22 school year.
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While this crisis may seem sudden, for those who have been paying close attention to the district’s public budget reports, it does not come as a complete surprise. Budget analysis indicates that it is not possible to reduce expenditures enough in the short term to keep both schools open without significant programming reductions.    [continue reading]