Please note: This email is being sent to all Foothill-De Anza District Employees.
Dear Foothill-De Anza Community,
At its June 24, 2026 Study Session, the Board of Trustees began a conversation about Foothill-De Anza's transition to
community-supported, or Basic Aid, status. This milestone provides an opportunity
to thoughtfully plan for our future while reaffirming our commitment to students and
the communities we serve. The Zoom recording from the meeting is available here.
The Board identified several guiding priorities that will shape our planning over
the next five years, including advancing student success, promoting equity and social
mobility, addressing students' basic needs, remaining an employer of choice, maintaining
transparency and public accountability, and ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability.
We enter this new chapter from a position of strength. Foothill-De Anza remains financially
stable, academically respected, and deeply connected to one of the world's most dynamic
regions. While our funding model is changing, our mission is not. We remain committed
to expanding educational opportunity, preparing students for meaningful careers and
transfer, and strengthening the communities we serve.
Community-supported status provides greater financial stability, but it also calls
on us to be thoughtful stewards of our resources. As higher education continues to
evolve through changing demographics, workforce needs, and emerging technologies,
we must continue planning for the future with both innovation and fiscal responsibility.
Over the coming year, we will work collaboratively with faculty, classified professionals,
administrators, students, trustees, and community partners to develop a shared five-year
planning framework that aligns with our colleges' strategic priorities and prepares
us for the opportunities ahead.
This transition is about more than a funding model. It is about building a stronger,
more resilient Foothill-De Anza that continues to transform lives for generations
to come.
Beginning Fall 2026, the District will hold budget townhalls both in-person and online.
These townhalls will be recorded. More details coming soon.
Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and our mission. I look forward
to continuing this important conversation with all of you.
Wishing you a Happy 4th of July!
Sincerely,
Lee D. Lambert
Chancellor and CEO
Chancellor and CEO
12345 El Monte Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022-4599
650.949.6100
650.941.1638 (fax)
Executive Assistant: Carla Maitland
maitlandcarla@fhda.edu
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
The contents of this email message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s)
and may contain confidential and/or privileged information and may be legally protected from disclosure.
If you are not the intended recipient of this message or their agent, or if this message has
been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the sender by reply email
and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are not the intended recipient,
you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, copying, or storage of this message or
its attachments is strictly prohibited.