Where’s the Money? The LCAP Budget Information the District Won’t Explain

I’m a taxpayer and public school advocate. I’ve been a witness to board meetings, study sessions, office hours, and the votes board members take in this district. It’s hard to understand what and why the district does what it does unless you’re present for the questions they ask and the votes they cast.

A perfect example: the LCAP, a state-mandated three-year academic and financial plan for how the district plans to accomplish its goals. The district is supposed to be improving conditions and outcomes for all students, and as the consultant Ron Calloway stated during a board meeting, “They have a moral obligation to deliver for the most vulnerable students in our district.”

That’s the standard. So when I reviewed the LCAP draft for 2026-27, I noticed something troubling, zero dollar amounts in the budget columns for spending on English Language Learners, Newcomers, Foster Youth, and Students with Educational Special Needs. The most vulnerable students in our district had blank lines where their money should be.

Since the district made the LCAP draft public, I have consistently reached out to the district office, Superintendent Sutter, and all five school board trustees asking for the dollar amounts. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate a plan with glaring missing information. Here’s what I received in response.

From the district office: The draft isn’t finished yet. (Fine, except the public comment period ends June 3rd and the board votes on June 18th. How can the public meaningfully comment on an incomplete document?)

From board members: Answers that didn’t actually answer my question, and in some cases, no response at all.

From Dr. Carter at the Sonoma County Office of Education, our local arm of the California Department of Education: A letter with lots of words that explained nothing about why these budget numbers are missing or what has actually been spent on these student groups over the last two years of this plan.

Weeks of requests. Weeks of non-answers. Weeks of silence from elected officials and education administrators who are accountable to us.

This is a transparency problem. It’s also a legal problem. State law requires districts to show how they’re allocating resources to support vulnerable students. You can’t evaluate whether they’re meeting that legal obligation if the information is missing.

I filed a complaint with the California Department of Education. As soon as I receive a response, I’ll post it here. But we shouldn’t have to wait for the state to intervene. The district should be showing us the money, right now, before the June 3rd deadline and before the June 18th board vote.

If this matters to you, it should. The kids in this district deserve adults in this community to demand transparency in everything the district does. That’s not being difficult. That’s being a parent, a taxpayer, and a citizen.

Write Superintendent Sutter. Write the board members. Ask them to show you the money. Ask them to explain the zeros. Ask them why the budget for the most vulnerable students in our district is blank.

Here’s where to send your message:

Superintendent Jason Sutter: jsutter@sonomaschools.org

Board President David Bell: dbell.trustee@sonomaschools.org

Trustee Ann Ching: aching.trustee@sonomaschools.org

Trustee Gerardo Guzman: guzman.trustee@sonomaschools.org

Trustee Catarina Landry: clandry.trustee@sonomaschools.org

Trustee Jason Lehman: jlehman.trustee@sonomaschools.org

The public comment period ends June 3rd. The board votes June 18th. Time matters. Act now.