05 Sep WCCUSD Finally Passes Budget to Keep Financial Control

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

Two months after failing to pass a budget, the West Contra Costa school board adopted its 2024-25 budget and will maintain local control of district finances. 

The board voted 4-1 on Aug. 28 to pass the budget. Only Trustee Mister Phillips voted against its adoption. 

At its June 26 meeting, the board failed to adopt a budget for the next year because of its rejection of the Local Control and Accountability Plan. The LCAP must be passed before the budget; the board unanimously passed the revised LCAP at the Aug. 28 meeting ahead of the budget’s adoption. 

“The journey to revise the previously rejected LCAP plan placed us in unprecedented territory — not only for our county but also for the entire state,” Superintendent Kenneth “Chris” Hurst said in an Aug. 30 recorded community message days after the meeting. “Making history is never easy, but through our collaborative efforts, we’re able to present the transparent and coherent LCAP plan that truly reflects the needs of our community and supports the success of our students.” 

Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy read the LCAP revisions proposed by him and Trustee Otheree Christian at the meeting, which includes increasing collaboration with the District Local Control and Accountability Plan committee to build trust with stakeholders, increasing DLCAP committee members and providing information in a timely matter to parent committees. 

Trustee Leslie Reckler requested an amendment to the LCAP revisions, which was accepted by Gonzalez-Hoy and Christian, asking that there be a review and, if necessary, revisions to any existing board policies related to the LCAP. 

“I don’t believe that we would have this document if the board had passed the LCAP the first time around,” said Phillips, who called the previous LCAP rejection courageous. “Sometimes it may not be pretty, it may not be the way we want it to be, but sometimes ‘messy’ and ‘ugly’ and what other adjectives you want to use … are necessary to get things right.” 

Phillips and Reckler previously voted against the LCAP. Christian abstained and Gonzalez-Hoy was absent. Only Board President Jamela Smith-Folds voted in favor of the LCAP presented at the June 26 meeting.

Gonzalez-Hoy, who appreciated Phillips’ comments, and Smith-Folds disagreed with his characterization of the majority of the board’s votes. 

“Understand the difference between being courageous and being dangerous,” said Smith-Folds. “The precedent that we set, the majority of the board set, was dangerous. The outcome was to the betterment of the students, but do not conflate the two.” 

Gonzalez-Hoy said the votes opposing the LCAP at the June meeting were irresponsible. 

The next West Contra Costa school board meeting is a joint special meeting with the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee on Sept. 9. The next regularly scheduled meeting is on Sept. 11.