District budget: Positive certification
Acton-Agua Dulce report cites huge challenges
ACTON — Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District submitted a 2020-21 first interim budget report with a positive certification despite enormous challenges related to the loss of charter school oversight fees.
The annual reports are due to the Los Angeles County Office of Education by Dec. 15 each year. A positive certification means the District will be able to meet its financial obligations for the current and subsequent two fiscal years.
The first interim report is a snapshot of the District’s finances from July 1 through Oct. 31.
The District’s enrollment at the time of the report was 920 students. However, the District is being funded on the prior year’s enrollment of 979 students.
“Even though we’re in a declining enrollment pattern — the cliff, so to speak — doesn’t occur for another year,” Superintendent Larry King said in a presentation at the Dec. 10 meeting.
Acton-Agua Dulce Unified’s funding is frozen for the current school year and the next school year based on the average daily attendance of the previous school year, King added.
The adopted 2020-21 budget included a $270,998 budget surplus. That surplus turned to an estimated deficit of $524,229 at the first interim. That deficit is related to the fact that the District no longer charge oversight fees to the 12 charter schools it authorizes.
The District has about $992,076 in one-time federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding. The District has an estimated $2.9 million in lost charter revenue.
The District’s projected General Fund revenue is approximately $16.6 million at first interim, down about $1.1 million from the adopted budget. The District’s projected General Fund expenditures are $17.2 million at first interim, down $375,394 from the adopted budget.
The District’s personnel expenses decreased from the adopted budget by about $957,868 because it did not fill vacancies.
Without more money per pupil coming from the state, or more students coming to the district, trustee Michael Fox said the board will likely have the same discussion about finances next year.
“I think we’ve done the right thing as painful as it might be to set ourselves on the right course,” Fox said.