Notes from the Board Meeting - 9/9/2025

At the last FMSD Board meeting on 9/9/2025 items of interest were presented and voted on:

- Consent Item 7.02 “District Certification of Unaudited Financial Report for 2024-25”

It is interesting to note that the FMEA Teachers’ Union President made the following comments during the Public Comments session of the Board Meeting: 

“I’m her to address drastic discrepancies in the District’s projected and actual unrestricted reserves this changes over the past 15 months, and the real consequences of those projections have on staff and students.  Looking back in the June 11, 2024 Budget presentation, we were told that the District would end the 2024-2025 school year with just 4.2 million in the unrestricted reserves, which is barely meeting the 3% minimum required by Ed Code, and those reserves would be exhausted, we were going to be in the red, and we were warned we’d have to cut 22.9 million; they were necessary or else the school district would be under state receivership.  So based on that alarming report, major decisions were made, dozens of certificated and classified staff were laid off, and programs were impacted.  Fast forward to the June 10, 2025, Budget Presentation, so a year later, the story changed.  It was great.  The District now was projected to have 12 million in unrestricted reserves, 23 million total.  So that was 8.6%...Now here we are 3 months later and we have the unaudited actual in 7.02 and they show something completely different….unrestricted reserves is projected to over 27 million; that’s a reserve of nearly 21%....These numbers tell us on thing clearly:  The District was NEVER in financial crisis we were told it was in!  Yet, during that time 44 certificated staff and many classified employees lost their jobs!  These are real people, real families, and real students that were affected based on projections that turned out to be wildly inaccurate!  But we are shocked at how wide the discrepancies is and wonder if it brings to the attention of the Board.  We ask the Board exercise greater scrutiny the financial projections as we move forward.”

I agreed with the FMEA Teachers’ Union president and wonder about those “projections that turned out to be wildly inaccurate!”

I ABSTAINED from voting; the other 4 Board members voted YES.

- Consent Item 8.02 “2025-2026 Amendment to the Contract with Kinship Academy, Non-Public School (NPS)”.

I requested to have this item pulled because it would mean excessive spending: “1 student is currently enrolled and 1 additional student has enrolled with the NPS for the 2025-2026 School Year; an additional $100,925.00 is requested, making the new not to exceed contract amount to $306,512.50 being paid with Special Education Funds.”

My objection was there must be a less expensive way for FMSD to provide this child needed service in our schools. 

I ABSTAINED from voting; the other 4 Board members voted YES.