Southern Kern Unified board approves unaudited actuals, construction change order and safety upgrades

Chief Business Officer Robert Irvin reviewed the district’s unaudited actuals for the 2024‑25 fiscal year, reporting that “overall revenues last year, came in at $72,300,000” and that estimated funded ADA was 3,345. He told the board the district began the fiscal year with a combined fund balance of about $42 million and ended the year at about $35 million (restricted and unrestricted combined), and that total expenditures for the year approached $80 million, reflecting one‑time construction payments and late negotiation settlements.

Irvin explained that salary and benefits represented about 70.3% of general‑fund expenditures and that, after backing out construction costs, that rate rose to about 72.6% as presented. He said higher costs in services and other operating expenses reflected construction work, utilities and contracted services; the presentation noted roughly $2.5 million of services/operating overspend tied to construction activity and cited elevated electric and water costs.

After the presentation the board approved several action items. Minutes and consent items were approved without comment. The board adopted annual resolutions tied to state reporting and limits, described as Resolution 25‑26‑03 (Education Protection Account) and Resolution 25‑26‑04 (appropriations/spending limit), and approved unaudited actuals as presented. The board also approved a change order for Coast Construction Group for after‑school facility work at Roseland Elementary (job no. 3000.150) with a reported additional cost of $25,779.20, and approved replacement of a fire‑alarm panel and associated annunciation system at East Campus so the upgraded panel will “communicate it with the alarm itself and the, enunciation,” as described by staff; the transcript recorded that the work will complete the system.

Personnel actions on the agenda — a multi‑page list of hires, after‑school staff, Saturday‑school teachers and coaches — were approved. Board members asked a few operational questions during the financial review, including requests to clarify the composition of the “services and other operating expenses” category (utilities, contractors, architects, outside service providers) and how construction payments are reflected across funds.

Informational items discussed but not acted on included a county‑level communication about Assembly Bill 495 and a Kern County Board of Education statement supporting Title IX protections for girls’ sports; board members were given the documents for review and told they could return the items for action at a future meeting if desired. The board also learned that Kern County Superintendent of Schools Linda Burrow is scheduled to visit district sites the following Monday.

None of the votes recorded in the transcript included full roll‑call counts; meeting audio captured members calling “Aye” and motions being seconded and approved. Where dollar amounts and percentages were provided during the presentation, the figures reported here follow the figures stated by the district business officer during the meeting.