Superintendent says district entering ‘community-funded’ era, urges strategic budgeting

Superintendent Mueller told the Coronado Unified School District Board of Trustees the district is entering a new “community-funded” or basic aid funding model and urged trustees to prioritize programs and reserves as the revenue timetable changes.

Mueller opened his annual state of the district by placing the district’s financial and academic picture in context: about 2,700 students (he later referenced 2,740), roughly 40% military-connected, a 98% graduation rate and a portfolio of pathway programs including STEM, world language and visual and performing arts. He said the district’s enrollment has declined from a pre-2020 average near 3,100 to the mid-2,700s and that inter-district transfers historically range from 12% to 19%.

The superintendent said the district’s budget “bridge” strategy has been deliberately building toward basic aid and that this year’s budget cycle includes the first year of community-funded revenue. He…