Oakland schools looking at non-teacher hiring freeze, spending cuts

Oakland school board President James Harris (left) says he has questions about the proposed cuts. Oakland school board President James Harris (left) says he has questions about the proposed cuts. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Oakland schools looking at non-teacher hiring freeze, spending cuts 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Oakland schools need to cut about $10 million in spending this year and another $21.6 million next year to cover bills and proposed programs, starting with an immediate hiring freeze for nonteaching positions, according to outgoing Superintendent Antwan Wilson.

Wilson is expected to lay out his budget recommendations Wednesday night and ask the school board to approve a resolution that would immediately limit spending and hiring this year.

It’s an effort to address an expected $30 million shortfall in the 2017-18 school year, district officials said. They stressed that the district is not facing a deficit, but rather a spending wish list that exceeds expected revenue.

“There is no large looming deficit, but we still have some hard decisions to make,” said district spokeswoman Valerie Goode. “We anticipate saving money now will reduce impact on school budgets next year. It was a tough decision to make, but we feel this will better prepare us in the event we are faced with reduced resources.”

Making cuts now will enable the district to pay for ongoing costs as well as programs adopted to improve student achievement, school officials said.

“We understand that making tough choices related to budget is not always popular or easy,” Goode said. “We are intentionally not maintaining the status quo in order to accelerate outcomes for students, while also ensuring we are good stewards of public funds.”

But the district is also facing “foreseeable externalities” — or circumstances beyond its control — that could have a significant effect on expenses, according to the proposed resolution to authorize a hiring freeze.

Such possibilities include declining enrollment, skyrocketing special-education spending, and replenishing the district’s reserve fund — adding up to several million dollars.

The proposed hiring freeze would not apply to teachers or essential staffers.

Wilson, who is leaving Oakland at the end of the month to head up the Washington, D.C., school system, said the midyear spending cuts and hiring freeze could save up to $11 million this year, leaving about $20 million in cuts to make next year.

“Implementing spending guidelines related to hiring and expenditures reflects a fiscal prudence that is very important right now as we prepare the ’17-18 budget,” school board Vice President Nina Senn said in an email Tuesday.

Board President James Harris, however, said he had questions about the proposed resolution.

“In terms of the freeze, I still need to look at what the impact is there,” Harris said. He said the board could delay a vote for at least a week.

The superintendent’s recommendations for next year’s budget would spread the pain between classrooms and the district administration.

There would be $10 million in school site reductions, including $5.5 million from decreases in staffing and services related to declining enrollment.

Wilson also wants to cut the number of assistant principals and other school-based support staff.

The superintendent would aim for $11.6 million in savings from the central office and district-wide budgets, including $5.1 million out of the business and operations division.

Harris noted that the superintendent’s budget proposal is just a recommendation and that the board will be making its decisions long after Wilson is gone.

“The specific request made of Antwan was to give us a strong proposal,” Harris said. “And he’s trying to do that before he leaves.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker