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Benicia Unified projects multi‑million-dollar shortfall; trustees weigh one‑time program trims and structural options
Summary
Superintendent and finance staff outlined a multi‑year shortfall driven by expiring one‑time funds, declining enrollment and rising special‑education costs. Proposal would use remaining one‑time funds to preserve programs for one year and identify staff and program reductions if revenue does not materialize.
Benicia Unified School District officials told trustees Thursday the district faces multi‑million‑dollar deficits over the next three years unless the board adopts spending reductions or new local revenue sources.
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Wright and Chief Business Officer Michelle Barrington framed the shortfall around three drivers: expiring one‑time COVID-era state funding, a long-term decline in district enrollment, and rising special‑education costs that outpace federal IDEA funding. Barrington presented an updated enrollment projection showing continued small declines at the elementary grades and noted about 15% of students attend from outside district boundaries, a factor in annual funding volatility.
District figures presented at the meeting project roughly $3.0 million of deficit spending…
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