Berkeley USD Regular School Board Meeting June 10, 2026

The Berkeley Unified School District held a regular school board meeting on June 10, 2026, which included extensive public comments on various educational programs and policies. Key procurement-related discussions focused on budget allocations for the 2026-2027 school year, particularly regarding the Measure H and Measure E1 funds. The board reviewed and approved budgets with a 3% COLA increase and a 10% reduction in High-Quality Instruction (HQI) program areas to manage salary and benefit cost increases. Specific staffing changes included a reduction in the ethnic studies TSA position from 1.0 to 0.6 FTE, which raised concerns among board members and the public due to its potential impact on ethnic studies program development and partnerships with UC Berkeley. The board also discussed the sustainability of funding for various programs, noting that some programs are using fund balances that will be exhausted in two to three years, highlighting the need for ongoing fiscal monitoring. Additionally, the board approved the 2026-2027 annual plan for communications, translation, and measure oversight, including a minor increase of $11,000 for a new website platform funded through the Measure E1 fund balance. The meeting included presentations on literacy improvement efforts under a settlement agreement, with plans to extend curriculum reviews to middle schools in the coming year. The board took votes to approve the budget recommendations and related staffing adjustments, with some motions passing by majority vote and one member dissenting on the ethnic studies TSA reduction. Overall, the meeting addressed budget management, program funding sustainability, and curriculum implementation, with attention to equity and instructional quality.