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County review finds Lawndale USD projects multiyear deficits; county requests updated fiscal stabilization plan
Summary
The Los Angeles County Office of Education told the Lawndale Elementary School District board it can meet current-year obligations but projects large multiyear declines and requested a board‑approved Fiscal Stabilization Plan and the 2025‑26 adopted budget by July 1, 2025.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education told the Lawndale Elementary School District Board of Education on May 1 that the county’s review of the district’s 2024‑25 second interim report shows the district can meet its financial obligations for the current and subsequent fiscal years but projects sizable multiyear declines.
The county’s letter, read aloud at the meeting, said the district’s unrestricted general fund beginning balance of $42,300,000 in 2024‑25 is projected to fall to $15,870,000 in 2026‑27 — a decline the county quantified in the letter as roughly $26,430,000, or about 62.48% over three years. The county asked the district to “provide an updated board‑approved Fiscal Stabilization Plan (FSP) with a 2025‑26 adopted budget report” to the county office by July 1, 2025 and cited Education Code Section 42131 as the legal context for its review.
Why it matters: The county’s request signals formal monitoring of the district’s multiyear fiscal position and requires the board to produce an updated plan and budget narrative before the July deadline. The county also noted the district’s recent board resolutions on early retirement and certificated and classified position closures as part of the district’s stabilization actions.
Details from the county letter include: - Projected unrestricted general fund decline from $42,300,000 (2024‑25) to $15,870,000 (2026‑27). - A requested submission deadline for an updated Fiscal Stabilization Plan and the 2025‑26 adopted budget: July 1, 2025. - The county reviewer named a contact: Catherine R. Connell at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
At the meeting Clerk Claire Rudolph moved to “accept and file” the correspondence from the Los Angeles County Office of Education; Trustee Phillips seconded. The board voted 4‑0 to accept and file the letter.
Board members did not adopt additional fiscal action at the meeting beyond accepting the county correspondence; the letter’s request establishes a timeline for the board and staff to prepare an updated stabilization plan and the adopted 2025‑26 budget for county review.
Ending: The county’s analysis and deadline set a clear next step for district staff and trustees: prepare and present a board‑approved Fiscal Stabilization Plan and the adopted 2025‑26 budget to the Los Angeles County Office of Education by July 1, 2025.
