FUSD trustees table SEDA opposition 4-3 amid warnings of closures

The Fresno Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 4-3 on Feb. 25, 2026 to indefinitely table a resolution that would have made the district the first public agency to formally oppose Mayor Jerry Dyer’s Southeast Development Area, or SEDA. Tabling the item means trustees avoided taking a formal position; board members were told the item could be brought back to the dais at a later date.

Trustees split along clear lines: Susan Wittrup, Keshia/Keisha Thomas, Claudia Cazares and Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas voted to table, while Board President Veva Islas, Andy Levine and Valerie Davis voted against tabling and wanted the board to proceed with opposition. Wittrup framed her vote as a matter of legal authority and district focus, saying, “My responsibility is to govern the school district and improve student educational outcomes, not to weigh in on municipal zoning matters. This resolution falls outside the legal authority and purview of the board.” Islas told the board she saw SEDA as benefiting neighboring districts, saying, “As written, SEDA would benefit Clovis Unified School District and Sanger Unified School District. I was not elected to either of those boards. I’m here on this board to fight for this district and to oppose anything that is detrimental to our economic solvency.” Levine added, “SEDA’s not a good thing for our kids. It’s our responsibility [as trustees] to push back.”

Mayor Jerry Dyer’s SEDA proposal would open roughly 9,000 acres on Fresno’s southeastern fringe for up to 45,000 homes, a footprint that coverage notes sits in Clovis Unified and Sanger Unified boundaries. Developers such as Darius Assemi have been prominent private-sector champions of SEDA; Fresnoland reported Assemi has owned parcels in the SEDA area and described a reported romantic relationship between Assemi and Trustee Wittrup. Those relationship and property claims are reported by Fresnoland and have not been independently verified in this report.

Fresno Unified’s internal financial team presented stark projections to trustees and the public: SEDA could force closure of as many as 11 schools, drain up to $200 million a year from the district budget and push the district into mass layoffs, figures Fresno Teachers’ Association leaders publicly supported. Those SEDA-specific estimates were attributed to the district’s financial team and the FTA in coverage. A separate district forecast cited in December 2025 by ABC30 projected a decline of about 1,500 students per year and the possible closure of five elementary schools over five years if current enrollment trends continue; district leaders warned SEDA could accelerate that decline, and Deputy Superintendent Ben Grody expressed concern about families shifting into Clovis Unified.

Administrators and advocates at the Feb. 25 meeting pushed against developer-driven planning and a lack of district input. Deputy Superintendent Drati asked, “Is Fresno Unified at the table, or is it all developers who are making these decisions for us?” Former Superintendent Bob Nelson warned of severe impacts, calling the prospect “devastating in terms of what the impacts would be” and “pretty egregious” when it affects kids and schools.

The board’s tabling decision followed a lengthy meeting and leaves the core budget and enrollment questions unresolved. Mayor Dyer has defended SEDA as necessary to bring affordable housing and businesses; city officials have said district concerns are overblown. With trustees divided and the Fresno Teachers’ Association pressing for clearer analysis, the debate over SEDA’s fiscal and community impacts to Fresno Unified remains active and could return to the board for further action.