$4.5M Cannabis Tax Grant Transforms Youth Prevention Services Across JUHSD

The Jefferson Union High School District Governing Board celebrated a landmark moment Sept. 15 — a $4.5 million state cannabis tax grant that will place substance use prevention and treatment staff at all five high schools for the first time in the program's 20-year history. But the celebration came alongside sobering fiscal news: the district closed 2025-26 with a $5.3 million deficit and faces another $6.4 million shortfall this year, putting reserves on a path to depletion without significant budget action.

• $4.5M Prop 64 grant lets YouthPoint Health expand substance use prevention to all five campuses and launch a new treatment services arm
• District ends fiscal year $5.3M in the red with only 12.4% reserves; budget committee must deliver recommendations by January
• Tax revenue growth projected to slow from 5.4% to 2.56%, well below the 5% the district budgeted — a gap that could force mid-year corrections
• Board unanimously backs Proposition 3 to preserve $5–15 billion in annual K-12 education funding set to expire in 2031
• New California pregnancy leave law grants school employees up to 14 weeks paid leave starting January 2027
• Teachers union mobilizes for Measure M on the ballot and deepens labor-management collaboration at every school site

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From 'Chicken Wire and Duct Tape' to $4.5 Million

The basics: YouthPoint Health, the district's school-based health center, won a five-year, $4.5 million grant from the state's Proposition 64 cannabis tax revenue, administered through the City of Daly City. The board unanimously approved an MOU with Daly City to receive the funds (5-0, voice vote) and created a new Inspire AOD Prevention Services Program Director position to lead the expansion (5-0, voice vote).

Why it matters: The Inspire substance use prevention program has operated on shoestring funding for two decades, reaching students at only one campus — Oceana High School. The grant will double prevention programming, extend it to Jefferson, Westmoor, Terra Nova and Thornton, and create the district's first-ever youth treatment services arm. JUHSD is the only school-based prevention organization among the grant recipients, which were predominantly police and fire departments.

Where things stand: Executive Director Anya Shapiro outlined an organizational restructuring that includes new positions for a Director of Behavioral Health, a health educator, a program coordinator and clinical interns. "We were granted a $4.5 million grant from the Prop 64 initiative, and that will enable us to double our substance use prevention programming," she said.

Mary Beer, who leads the Inspire prevention program, traced its origin to a tragedy. "Our prevention program started 20 years ago when there was an alcohol-related accident in Pacifica that took the lives of two teenagers," she said. "One was Stephanie Echeverri, who was 16 years old, a Terra Nova student, and Jonathan Beer, who was my nephew, who was 19 years old at the time."

Beer described how the program evolved from a bare-bones brief intervention effort that held its first full session in January 2020 — only to pivot to virtual during COVID — into a fully integrated prevention model. "Prevention, it's not just 'don't do drugs' and here's what it does to your body. We do a lot of health education. We reached 2,000 people last year, young people and adults," she said.

A notable innovation is the YouthPoint Health Sound Lab, a DJ project that will produce prevention messaging through music, drawing on Daly City's deep DJing culture. Student trustees expressed strong enthusiasm for the concept.

The other side: Trustee Jerome Gallegos praised the presenters' passion but flagged a sustainability question, noting the program's dependence on a five-year grant cycle. "I think you guys stated something about this program could collapse up to like four or five years based on this grant that you guys got," he said.

Vice Chair Rosie Tejada offered an emotional reflection on the program's long road. "Thinking about all the times I used to sit in some of those meetings with you pre-COVID, Mary, at the Asian American Recovery Services, and how you're basically operating with chicken wire and duct tape for a long time — and to suddenly have this type of funding to grow the program to meet the vision that I know you've had for a long time. Powerful," she said.

Student Trustee Casey Seiple from Terra Nova asked how the expanded services would be publicized to students. Beer and Shapiro described plans for campus-level outreach and youth leadership programming at every site.

Decisions: The MOU and the new program director job description both passed unanimously, 5-0.

What's next: YouthPoint Health will begin hiring for the new positions and rolling out prevention programming at campuses beyond Oceana. The five-year grant runs through approximately 2031.

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$5.3M Deficit Puts District on Unsustainable Path

Why it matters: The district ended fiscal year 2025-26 spending $5.3 million more than it took in, and projects another $6.4 million deficit this year. Without corrective action, reserves will be depleted within a few years.

Where things stand: Ms. Van Raphorst, the district's business services lead, walked the board through the unaudited actuals required for submission to the San Mateo County Office of Education by Sept. 15. The general fund ending balance stood at $17.7 million, representing 12.44% reserves — or 14.1% when including Fund 17.

"We know that this is unsustainable. We can't continue to spend down reserves. They will be gone," Van Raphorst said.

Revenue came in $940,000 below projections, though the gap was largely an accounting shift: grant funds for substance use prevention moved from the general fund to Fund 63, not a net loss. Tax rate revenue grew 5.4% over the prior year, outperforming the September 2025 projection of 3.56%. But the outlook is dimming. "The tracker now projects a 2.56% increase and we have budgeted a 5% increase. So we might need to revisit that assumption at first," Van Raphorst warned.

Expenditures ran $16,000 over projections. Salaries and benefits came in $1.5 million higher than expected, driven by paraprofessional hiring and overtime projection errors in the district's new financial system. Those overages were partially offset by savings in books, supplies and contracted services. Van Raphorst noted the tradeoff: "Compared to last year, paraprofessional costs are up about a half a million dollars while the cost of our contracts are down about a million dollars."

Several subsidiary funds also raised red flags. The adult education program required a $500,000 general fund contribution due to overstaffing and uncollected federal funds. The cafeteria fund needed $370,000 after a 16% decline in student meal participation. "Students are not eating as much as we had expected. The previous two years had higher meal participation by about 16%. And meal reimbursement is the only way we receive funds," Van Raphorst explained. Rising special education costs added further pressure.

Student Trustee Francis Martinez from Westmoor asked whether student trustees could form a subcommittee to address the meal participation decline. Van Raphorst encouraged student feedback, particularly at Jefferson, where participation dropped most sharply.

On the capital side, the building fund retains $91 million, largely earmarked for the Jefferson gym, pool and theater project. The enterprise fund houses both YouthPoint Health ($1.31 million) and the employee housing program ($4.78 million), both self-sustaining.

Decisions: The board approved the unaudited actuals unanimously, 5-0, along with the required GANN Limit resolution (5-0) that enables the district to access its full spending authority under state law.

What's next: A budget committee is expected to present corrective recommendations in January. The district will need to revisit its revenue growth assumptions at first interim given the gap between the 5% budgeted and the 2.56% now projected.

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Board Backs Proposition 3 to Shield Billions in School Funding

Why it matters: Proposition 3 would make permanent the graduated income tax on higher earners — ranging from 10.3% on individual income over $360,000 to 12.3% on income over $721,000 — first enacted in 2012 and set to expire in 2031. The tax typically raises $5–15 billion per year, with 89% going to K-12 public schools and 11% to community colleges.

Superintendent Toni Presta presented Resolution 2026-2027-3 and recommended approval. "This is quite a lot of money that will be missing from school districts," she said of the potential funding loss if the measure fails.

Decisions: Approved unanimously, 5-0, without discussion.

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New California Law Expands Pregnancy Leave for School Workers

Ms. Lujan from human resources presented a side letter agreement implementing a new California law effective Jan. 1, 2027. All school employees who experience birth or pregnancy complications will have access to up to 14 weeks of paid leave, with the duration determined by a medical professional and the patient.

Decisions: Approved unanimously, 5-0.

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Teachers Union Signals Measure M Push, Deepens Site-Level Collaboration

An AFT Local 1481 representative reported the union has activated its membership around Measure M on the ballot. "Measure M is on the ballot, and I know that we've discussed it as a membership to make sure that we activate our membership around our shared interest and service of our community and our schools," the representative said.

The union also reported on two collaboration efforts: participation at the National Equity Project conference in Chicago, where teams from Westmoor and Jefferson worked alongside administrators on equity and student voice; and a training session the following morning to structure site labor-management, district labor-management and special education labor-management teams at every school for the year.

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Student Trustees Sworn In, Deliver Vibrant Campus Reports

Superintendent Presta administered the oath of office to 2026-27 student trustees from Westmoor, Jefferson, Terra Nova and Oceana. Thornton High School still needs student representation. Presta noted that Bev Gerard from the California School Boards Association observed a recent student trustee meeting in connection with an award application and offered strong compliments.

Board President Sherrett Walker emphasized the value of student voice and encouraged trustees to bring issues forward.

Highlights from campus reports:

• Westmoor (Francis Martinez): Coach Rex's 300th volleyball win; over 70 clubs tabling at Club Rampage; new cultural clubs including Habibi Club and Black Student Union; a suicide awareness campaign involving five clubs and the wellness department; FBLA's "One Can Challenge" food drive addressing Daly City food insecurity
• Jefferson (El Miranda): Aloha Dance and Mini Rally; Stanford Blood Drive; International Multicultural Week; first home football game; new clubs including Fidget Club and Hearts in Action
• Terra Nova (Casey Seiple): "Last week we had Breaking Down the Walls, which is where students from all grade levels come together in our gym and do bonding activities to get to know each other on a deeper level," Seiple said. Also reported a circus-themed spirit week, fall play "Almost Maine" announcement, college visits from USF and UC Santa Cruz, Biodiversity Week and parking lot construction.
• Oceana (Marina Sergeyeva): A 90s-themed dance that doubled attendance from 60 to 170 students; fundraising for Fog Fest; disability week; hygiene drive; Suicide Awareness Week; Washington, D.C. trip planning

Trustee Jerome Gallegos noted the meeting fell on the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month. "Considering the climate of our country at this time, I'd really like to hammer that home and celebrate with our Hispanic brothers and sisters," he said.

Superintendent Presta reported attending the National Equity Project work with district teams, describing "the idea of liberatory design where you are designing with, not for, the people that you serve."

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Minor Items

• Consent agenda approved unanimously, 5-0, without discussion.
• Classified contract update approved unanimously, 5-0 — a minor revision adding a "last revised date" now required by the public retirement system.
• Sept. 1 meeting minutes approved unanimously, 5-0.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:34 p.m. with no public comment received.