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The Dublin Unified School District teachers union recently expressed its near-unanimous disapproval of Superintendent Chris Funk over his alleged neglect of student needs, mismanagement of funds and misleading communication with the public — accusations which the supe has unilaterally denied.
Accounting for nearly all of the Dublin Teachers Association’s 710 members, over 90% cast votes of no confidence in the district leader, according to a statement this week by DTA officials.
Union and district negotiators remain at impasse over their collective bargaining agreement, with one mediation session under their belt since the stalemate was recognized Nov. 21, 2025 by the Public Employment Relations Board.
All the while, district officials stare down a budget reduction target of approximately $8.4 million for the 2026-27 school year in the wake of a $3.6 million budgeting error that triggered the DTA’s vote.
Following DTA’s statement Jan. 7 announcing the union’s vote, Funk released a statement of his own, denouncing the accusations and defending the district’s support of students and educators.
“It is disappointing to hear about this action taken at the same time the district and DTA have begun formal mediation,” Funk said in the statement. “As mediation moves forward, I remain hopeful that both parties can re-center on our shared goal: doing what is best for students while honoring the work of our educators in a way that is responsible, transparent and sustainable.”
However, from the perspective of union representatives, DTA is already focused on students.
“This vote of no confidence is about prioritizing our students and demanding leadership that will invest in our students’ education,” DTA President Brad Dobrzenski said in the statement.
According to DTA officials, Funk’s mismanagement of taxpayer funds is signaled by his accounting error announced last month as well as the district’s use of approximately $12.9 million last school year on professional/consulting services and operating expenditures — more than double the amount spent during the final school year prior to Funk joining the district in July of 2021.
Under Funk’s financial mismanagement, funds have been shifted away from student supports, DTA officials allege.
“Claims that the district has de-invested in students are not supported by the facts,” Funk said in his statement.
He went on to explain that consulting services are limited and used only when legally required or necessary for students, safety or fiscal and operational compliance.
“They do not replace educators or come at the expense of instructional funding,” he added.
Additionally, DUSD’s financial pressures and reductions — totaling approximately $10 million over the past two years in addition to another required $8 million for next school year — are comparable to districts statewide, the supe explained.
Employee compensation as well as other costs like utilities, insurance, materials and supplies and the budgeting error are among the costs facing DUSD, he said. The district is also projected to have declining enrollment over the next six years, which negatively impacts state funding.
“These are structural challenges facing public education statewide, not the result of local priorities or leadership decisions,” Funk said. “Despite these constraints, Dublin Unified continues to prioritize classroom instruction, student services and school-based staffing to the greatest extent possible.”
Funk pointed to the district’s high performance in state testing, high graduation rate and leading teacher compensation as examples of the district’s focus on student success amid financial pressure.
But DTA officials claim Funk has failed to “respectfully engage” with teachers, staff and the community; caused a standstill in labor negotiations and provided misleading and inaccurate information to the community.
Complaints regarding poor relations with staff and an inability to manage the budget led to his departure from his prior employer East Side Union High School District, DTA officials added.
According to a statement by the East Side Teachers Association in August 2020, the district’s school board terminated Funk’s contract one year early. However, a statement from the district’s Board of Trustees just days prior expressed appreciation for Funk’s achievements in response to his resignation.
Regarding DUSD, Funk said the district has participated in the bargaining process with good faith through multiple sessions, responses to proposals and entrance into mediation. Additionally, the district’s communications are based on financial data and board-approved documents, he said.
“Teachers are calling for the school board to take immediate action and hold him accountable”, DTA officials said in their statement.
Union representatives do not recommend specific repercussions, as that is the board’s purview, Dobrzenski told the Pleasanton Weekly. However, he expressed hope that the board would take action ahead of Funk’s planned retirement at the end of the school year.
“Our greatest hope for what can come out of all of this is that our students are being prioritized and invested in and all the decisions that are being made keep students at the center of them, where they belong,” Dobrzenski told the Weekly.
The teachers union is set to host two community town hall meetings next week to discuss the organization’s position on Funk’s leadership and its call for budget reprioritization.
Featuring identical material, the virtual sessions are scheduled to take place from 4-5 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12. Pre-registration is required for both time slots.
Following the town hall meeting, the DUSD Board of Trustees is set to discuss the district’s proposed budget cuts at Tuesday’s regular meeting (Jan. 13), with open session scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
The board agenda was not yet available as of Thursday morning.
