Chino Valley Unified adopts proposed 2025–26 budget amid state funding uncertainty and planned capital projects

The Chino Valley Unified District Board held a public hearing June 16 and approved the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget, the board president said, while district staff warned the final numbers depend on state action and validated student counts.

District business staff presented the budget, saying the maintenance and operations (M&O) fund for 2024–25 is $19,600,000 and the proposed M&O for 2025–26 is approximately $19,035,000, subject to change if the legislature finalizes the per‑pupil amount. "Our M&O fund this year is 19,600,000," John Livingston said during the hearing.

The nut graf: the board approved budget limits and factors that set spending authority for the coming year, but staff emphasized material uncertainty because the state had not finalized its budget and the district’s final per‑pupil amount and validated student counts remain unresolved.

In detail: Livingston told the board that the state increased the per‑pupil base in recent years and that district projections conservatively use the prior year’s $5,013 per pupil figure because the legislature had not yet acted. He said the district’s weighted pupil count had grown to about 3,000 in recent counts, and an additional $100 per pupil (if approved by the legislature) would generate roughly $300,000 for M&O.

Staff also reviewed capital spending: the 2024–25 capital budget was listed at about $1,029,000 with roughly $715,000 already spent and $100,000 encumbered. Livingston said the district expects the capital budget to be about $672,000 for 2025–26 and that some capital items already encumbered include carpet replacement and HVAC work.

Several state‑funded facilities projects were discussed as contingent on School Facilities Board (SFB) approval. Livingston said the district had a low bid of $226,670 from SureFire for a new fire alarm system and a $395,000 quote to replace large window assemblies in three Center Street buildings; both needed SFB final approval before scheduling. "Once we get those fully approved, we can't schedule them like we can Sunland Asphalt; we imagine by August or September these will be fully approved," he said.

The district also reported operating cash management steps, such as moving expenditures into cash funds and using levy dollars for targeted road, bus‑lane and fire‑lane improvements. Board members noted the district was deliberately conservative in its proposed M&O total to avoid adopting an unsustainably high figure before student counts and state aid are finalized.

At the close of the public hearing the board moved to adopt the budget limits and factors for FY 2025–26; the motion carried on an affirmative voice vote. Board discussion and follow‑up: staff said revised budgets will be brought back in July and again in the fall as the state releases final per‑pupil figures and validated student counts.

The board scheduled further budget reviews in July and signaled that detailed revisions would follow once the state completes its budget and the district receives validated counts.