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Pomona Unified outlines 2025–26 budget assumptions, warns of enrollment decline and state growth recession
Summary
Business staff presented the district's 2025–26 budget assumptions: a 2.3% COLA, continuing enrollment decline, use of a three‑year ADA smoothing formula, and contingency reserves. Staff said the district's budget planning assumes economic headwinds at the state level.
Sandra Garcia, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Chief Business Officer, presented Pomona Unified’s public hearing on the 2025–26 budget on June 11, outlining assumptions staff used to build the coming year’s budget and the district’s fiscal risks.
Garcia said the district used the governor’s May Revision assumptions (including a 2.3% cost‑of‑living adjustment) to prepare a budget that must be adopted by June 30. She flagged a statewide ‘‘growth recession’’ with slower economic growth and noted the state faces a multibillion‑dollar shortfall; she told the board the May Revision includes accounting shifts and deferrals rather than deep education cuts.
On enrollment and revenue, Garcia said Pomona Unified continues to face declining enrollment and lower average daily attendance, which materially affects LCFF funding. She explained the district’s current three‑year ADA averaging ('21–'24) provides a temporary smoothing effect on funding; Garcia showed a projected funded ADA of 17,810 for 2025–26 under the district’s assumptions.
On district assumptions and costs, Garcia cited: - A 2.3% COLA for this year (with out‑year estimates shown), - Projected year‑over‑year ADA declines of roughly 700 students in the out‑years for planning purposes, - Step/column salary increases of 1.5% for certificated and 1% for classified staff, - Pension and retirement (CalSTRS and PERS) assumptions.
Garcia also described reserves and risk management. She said the district ‘‘do[es] estimate 114,500,000.0 reserve for economic uncertainties’’ (wording and scale as presented in the staff slide deck) and emphasized the district’s legal minimum 3% reserve requirement. She said some portion of fund balance is committed to textbooks, insurance liabilities and to mitigate anticipated revenue loss from enrollment decline.
Garcia explained that the budget package presented to the board includes unrestricted general fund revenue and planned contributions to restricted programs and that the majority of district revenue—she said about 96%—is tied to LCFF. She closed by noting the final enacted state budget is expected by mid‑June and the district will report any changes at the next board meeting.
The board opened and closed the public hearing; no public comments were submitted for the budget item at the June 11 hearing.
