Finances
School District finances are extremely complicated. Here we will try to break down the big picture of how CUSD is doing and the future projections for the next few years, particularly with declining enrollment and state budget deficits.
According to the most recent budget projections provided at the June 21, 2023 Board Meeting, our projected revenue and expenditures are flattening out after consistent growth for the past decade. The excess revenue in 2022-23 was intentionally balanced out with the projected deficit in 2023-24.
What is most concerning? It's the "Themes" outlined in the slide below:
"Adjusting staffing to actual enrollment" means laying off teachers and increased class sizes.
"Proposed substantial mid-year cuts" to state block grants takes away money CUSD had already planned to receive and spend.
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While these mid-year cuts appear to have been avoided so far, this will be an ongoing theme for many years as public school enrollment continues to decline and the state is projected to face increasing deficits and declining revenues.
Despite these plans to reduce staff and other expected budget cuts, the CUSD Board just approved a 5% raise for CUSD teachers (retroactive to 2022), with an annual fiscal impact of $3,404,146 in 2023-24 alone, making them the highest paid of any Unified District in North County!
Oddly, CUSD certified that approving this raise would have NO impact on instructional programs "such as staff reductions."
