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The Sacramento City Unified School District [SCUSD] is looking at budget cuts after their adopted budgeted was disapproved by the county.
Every year, the school district sends a budget to the Sacramento County Office of Education [SCOE], which has fiscal oversight over the district. However, for the first time, the districts budget has been disapproved.
To get an approved budget, the board has to adopt a plan by Oct. 8, 2018, that addresses a $24 million budget deficit. This means the district has to implement budget cuts.
In a video released by the SCUSD, Superintdent Jorge Aguilar considered the actions necessary since independent voices are confirming that their district has higher expenses than the state funding they receive.
Their current goal is to find money without severely impacting student education.
Budget cuts needed to address growing deficit
In a letter to SCUSD, the Sacramento County Office of Education addressed the district’s need to reduce their budget and reverse a deficit spending trend.
The county explained that revenues remained stable, however, the unrestricted expenditures in 2018-19 and 2019-20, “increased significantly even though the district has been asked to solve its structural deficit problem.” According to the county, those expenses increased from about $348 million to $371 million in 2018-19 and from $359 million to $375 million in 2019-20.
A new plan will need to reverse the deficit spending, include support of on-going expenses, and should include a timeline showing how adjustments will be implemented.
The county also asked that the district notify them of any changes to the budget and to monitor enrollment trends and inform them of adjustments if those trends fluctuate.
