Petaluma School Board Slashes Jobs To Balance Budget: Report

PETALUMA, CA — After months of debate, the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education voted Feb. 10 to approve roughly $6 million in budget cuts for the 2026–27 school year, a move that will means eliminating the equivalent of 44 full-time certificated positions and more than 16 full-time classified jobs.

Board members said the decision was made in the “interest of the District, including the welfare of the District’s schools and pupils." Affected employees are expected to receive layoff notices by March 15.

Among the certificated positions slated for elimination are roles that educators and parents say are central to equity and student achievement, including a student advisor, bilingual coordinator, and student information and attendance specialist.

In addition, electives such as agriculture, auto shop, arts, science, math, robotics, drama, Spanish, and French are expected to be reduced or cut altogether. The cuts would also affect reading specialists, psychologists, counselors, and similar positions.

School officials attributed the reductions to “large variations” in school funding, unpredictable state revenue, and recent decreases in federal support. The district faces added strain because its per-pupil funding ranks near the lowest in Sonoma County, the Petaluma Argus-Courier reported.

On average, Petaluma City Schools receives about $17,900 per student annually through California’s Local Control Funding Formula, according to the Argus-Courier. But funding is ultimately based on average daily attendance, not just enrollment.

Enrollment in the district has steadily declined in recent years, dropping from 6,460 students in 2020 to 6,033 students in 2025, according to figures cited by the Argus-Courier. A 2024–25 statistical report from the Sonoma County Office of Education shows that the district experienced a roughly 6 percent decline in average daily attendance between 2020 and 2025. Over the three-year average from 2022 to 2025, attendance hovered around 93 percent of total enrollment, the Argus-Courier reported.

With state funding tied to students in seats, district leaders said declining enrollment and attendance have compounded financial pressures — leaving trustees with what they described as difficult but necessary cuts.