California School Districts in Financial Turmoil
California’s significant school districts are facing serious challenges with unsustainable spending and excessive hiring practices.
In Santa Rosa, located about an hour and a half north of San Francisco, the local superintendent criticized schools for their reckless financial management.
Officials noted that employees are receiving substantial salaries while hiring an excessive number of new staff, which isn’t supported by the income generated from students.
Interestingly, student enrollment in 24 schools has decreased from 16,000 in 2016 to under 12,000 last year.
Michael Fine, who leads the Financial Crisis and Management Support Team, warned school board members in January that the district was “in serious financial trouble.”
He commented, “It’s much worse than any other district in the state. I don’t understand why we are always short on cash.”
The president of the teachers’ union also criticized the district, suggesting that their efforts were merely temporary fixes to deeper, systemic problems.
Kathryn Howell described the situation by saying, “It’s like a mansion on the sand, that’s how it looks to me.” Over the last decade, investigations have mainly focused on hiring staff at high salaries amidst declining enrollment.
Funding for California school districts is directly linked to the number of enrolled students, and numbers have been consistently dropping for the past five years.
Regardless, reports indicated that senior officials in Santa Rosa City Schools collectively made over $1 million.
Lisa August Hulme, the interim superintendent, has a base salary of $261,537. This places her in the 90th percentile for superintendents in California, nearing salaries typical for large districts with more than 20,000 students.
Other high earners include Assistant Superintendent Dr. Vicki Zanz, who makes over $222,000 annually, and Roderick M. Castro, Associate Superintendent of Education and Learning, with a total compensation of $243,410.60. Stacey A. Desideri, the executive director of wellness and engagement, receives nearly $200,000.
A look at the 2025-2026 Santa Rosa City School Administrator salary schedule also reveals higher salaries for several positions, including $170,000 for high school principals, which exceeds the California average of $135,000.
Various factors are contributing to the declining student presence in schools. Tragically, in 2023, a 16-year-old student was fatally stabbed at Montgomery High School by a classmate.
Jayden Jess Pienta succumbed to his injuries after the incident, which occurred in a classroom and later led to his death at a local hospital.
The district grapples with budget constraints, compounded by a drop in student numbers due to COVID-19 and devastating wildfires in 2017 that destroyed over 5,600 structures and resulted in 22 fatalities.
Santa Rosa City Schools has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding these pressing issues.
