Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC)

Each year before June 30 the School Board is required by law to pass a balanced budget. Before that happens, there is a six-month process to develop the district’s budget.

The annual budget process begins in January, after the Governor has released his proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning the next July 1. The district begins to develop a budget based on this proposal, knowing that the Governor will release a May Revise — essentially a revision to this January proposal but based on several more months of economic data.

Staff drafts a budget recommendation for the Superintendent, based on the Governor’s January budget.

Since 2008-09, the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC) has had the responsibility for proposing budget recommendations to the Superintendent, particularly in times of reductions in state education funding or when revenue does not meet projections and budget cuts are needed. The SBAC starts with the staff recommendation for the budget, created by department heads as a starting point for its deliberations. The SBAC is free to recommend changes to the budget, keeping in mind the necessity to pass a balanced budget.

The Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee consists of 17 voting members, with the idea of providing the Superintendent a body of interested parties with a variety of viewpoints. Community representative serve two-year terms after being appointed, and representatives of the bargaining units also have significant history in the committee or in the district.

Eight of the representatives are BUSD staff, including representatives of all four bargaining units, who are joined by eight community members and a student representative. The Assistant Superintendent of Business Services (CBO) chairs the meetings, which are also attended by the Superintendent, two School Board members and a staff liaison who takes meeting notes.

Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee Meeting Information

Meetings are held via Zoom until further notice. Contact Business Services at 510-644-8593 for Zoom information.

Records from 2023-2024:

Meeting information from previous years can be found here.