October 8, 2026

Time	Agenda Item	A/D/I/R | Discussion Leader	Actions
1:00 p.m.	1) Introductions & welcome	I Co/Vice Chairs	Welcome
1:05 p.m.	2) Review & approve membership	A Co/Vice Chairs	Approved
1:15 p.m.	3) Review and approve the Mission, Responsibilities & Structure,  and Guiding Principles	A Co/Vice Chairs	Approved
1:30 p.m.	4) Review & approve meeting calendar	A Co/Vice Chairs	Approved
1:40 p.m.	5) Approve the notes June 11, 2026	A Vice-Chairs	Approved
1:45 p.m.	6) FHDA FY26/27 Adopted Budget DA FY26/27 Adopted Budget	I/D Co-Chairs	Information Sharing
2:15 p.m.	7) Upcoming agenda items for AY26/27:	All	Agenda setting

Draft AI Notes
Meeting summary

Quick recap

The meeting served as the first Budget Advisory Committee meeting for fiscal year 2026-27. The committee reviewed and approved its membership structure, mission, responsibilities, and guiding principles by consensus. Members discussed the meeting calendar and agreed to maintain the current schedule while allowing for special meetings as needed. The committee approved the minutes from the final meeting in June. Farhad presented the district-adopted budget for 2026-27, noting that the district is community funded and that expenditures are rising faster than revenues. He reported a district-wide deficit of $7.67 million for 2025-26 and a projected deficit of $3.5 million for 2026-27. Alisa presented the De Anza college budget, reporting a 2025-26 deficit of $855,000 and a projected 2026-27 deficit of $291,000. She explained that the college is using one-time funds to balance the budget and is working to build a fund balance cushion. The committee also discussed the 50% law and the impact of instructional workload reductions.

Next Steps

Update the Budget Advisory Committee website to include the January 14th meeting date.
Share more information about the upcoming district-wide town halls on budget planning.
Amend the meeting minutes to include a list of attendees.

Summary

Budget Advisory Committee Meeting 2026-27

The Budget Advisory Committee for fiscal year 2026-27 held its first meeting with Farhad Sabit, Alisa Omeragic, and Hieu introducing themselves as co-chairs and staff members. The committee reviewed its membership structure, which remained unchanged from the previous year, and approved it by consensus. The meeting covered the committee's mission, responsibilities, and reporting structure, with Farhad clarifying that the committee operates under a co-chair model with himself, Margarita, and Shagun as co-chairs, and that decisions are made by consensus.

Budget Advisory Committee Structure Review

The meeting focused on reviewing the mission, roles, responsibilities, and guiding principles of the Budget Advisory Committee. Speaker 1 (ADM106) explained that the committee reports directly to College Council and works with RAPP on budget-related matters, such as faculty vacancies and instructional equipment allocation. Debbie raised concerns about the meeting schedule, noting a three-month gap between meetings, but Speaker 1 clarified that meetings are not held during academic quarters to allow faculty to focus on their work. The group reached consensus on approving the mission, roles, responsibilities, and structure of the committee.

Academic Calendar and Minutes Review

The meeting focused on reviewing and approving the academic calendar and meeting minutes. Debbie raised concerns about the three-month gap between meetings affecting important decisions like faculty positions and budget approvals, but the group agreed to maintain the current schedule with the option to call special meetings as needed. The group approved the calendar by consensus, including the possibility of adding a meeting in January if necessary, and agreed to update the website to reflect the approved schedule. They also approved the minutes from their final June meeting, with a suggestion to include attendance information in future minutes.

Fiscal Year 25-26 Budget Overview

Speaker 1 (ADM106) presented a budget overview for fiscal year 25-26, highlighting that revenues increased by $3.3 million while expenditures rose by $13.3 million, resulting in $7.67 million of deficit spending. The district's fund balance was $30.67 million (11.8% of total expenditures), meeting the minimum 5% board policy requirement. Speaker 1 noted that De Anza's revenue per Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTE) was $8,959, which was lower than the statewide average of $9,865 and the second lowest among the basic aid districts presented.

District Enrollment and Budget Trends

The meeting discussed enrollment trends and budget considerations for the district. Speaker 1 (ADM106) presented historical enrollment data showing fluctuations from 34,646 FTEs in 2011 to 25,564 FTEs in 2025-26, noting the impact of the Great Recession and COVID-19. The district has transitioned to basic aid community funding, reducing reliance on state funding and shifting focus from enrollment growth to student success. The adopted budget for 2025-26 projects revenues of $252.89 million and expenditures of $256.39 million, resulting in a projected deficit of $3.5 million, with property taxes and non-resident enrollment being key revenue sources.

Budget and Enrollment Data Review

Veronica asked for examples of the "other" category in the budget presentation, which Speaker 1 (ADM106) explained included full-time faculty hiring funds from 2018-19, unrestricted lottery money, state-mandated costs, interest income, and indirect costs from grants. Speaker 1 noted that salaries and benefits make up approximately 85% of the total budget, which is in line with the state average. The discussion also covered enrollment data, showing a slight increase of 317 FTES (1.4%) from 25-26, with De Anza experiencing 9.5% growth while Foothill saw a higher 20% increase over the same period.

District Budget Projections Meeting

The meeting focused on budget projections and financial planning for the district. Speaker 1 (ADM106) presented data on revenue sources including basic aid funding, property taxes, and non-resident student fees, highlighting a projected deficit of $5.7 million for 26-27 and potential surpluses in later years. The discussion addressed concerns about the 3.5% cut and its impact on meeting the 50% law for instruction, with Speaker 1 confirming the district would continue monitoring and meeting the requirement. The conversation ended with an announcement about upcoming town halls with district leadership, including a session scheduled for October 12th.

De Anza College Budget Review

The meeting focused on reviewing the De Anza College budget for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. Alisa presented the financial results, noting that while the college made progress by staying close to the budgeted expenditures of $4.6 million (actuals were $4.1 million), they still ended 2025-26 with a deficit of $855,000 due to revenue shortfalls, particularly in international student program fees and installment plan fees. The college used one-time funds and transfers from Fund 15 to balance the budget, with an ending fund balance of $26,000. For 2026-27, the budget includes reduced allocations for certain programs that moved under district oversight, and the college is projecting a deficit of $291,000, which will also be addressed with one-time funds.

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Attendees: Pippa Gibson (Organizer), Michele LeBleu-Burns, Melissa Maturino, Veronica Avila, Debbie Lee, Ram Subramaniam (He/him), Jeff Dickard (ACE), Margarita Hawthorn, ADM106. Thomas Ray, Eric Woodbury, Hieu Nguyen, Alisa Omeragic.

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BAC supporting documents are posted here: Budget Advisory Committee Documents
Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)
Resource Allocation and Program Planning (RAPP)
A = Action
D = Discussion
I = Information
R = Recommendation