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Benicia Unified says $14 million in one-time LCAP funds will be exhausted this year; services will be reduced
Summary
District staff told the board that one-time COVID-era grants that have funded counseling, intervention assistants, teacher coaching and other supports will be gone by the end of the school year, and administrators outlined likely service reductions and steps being explored to mitigate impacts.
Dr. Beatson told the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees that roughly $14 million in one-time state grants used to extend services since the COVID pandemic will be fully spent by the end of this school year.
The presentation listed programs funded with one-time dollars that will be affected, including wellness-center staffing and clinician time, extra student supervision at elementary recess, intervention assistants for early grade reading support, an English-learner teacher who administers the ELPAC, an additional IT technician, a teacher coach who provides professional development and induction supports, and the Willie B. Atkins program for African American students.
"All of those funds will be gone by the end of this school year because we've spent them," Dr. Beatson said, summarizing the district's position and the limits of current funding.
District staff presented data on outcomes associated with the positions: more than 2,400 wellness-center visits districtwide this year, 18 students receiving clinician services, 98 students served by intervention assistants with a measurable reduction in students scoring in the lowest NWEA bands, 45 EL students supported by the EL teacher, a technician who closed 75 tickets, 28 students enrolled in the Willie B. Atkins program (average weekly attendance 20), and a teacher coach supporting 21 teachers.
Administration warned that program reductions could reduce access to mental-health supports, shrink small-group intervention, limit EL testing and direct services that are legally required, reduce professional development and teacher coaching, and increase workloads for classroom staff. The district also cited potential downstream effects such as higher absenteeism or more disciplinary referrals when there are fewer adult contacts during recess.
To reduce impacts, the district said it is pursuing a set of mitigation and revenue strategies, including joining a Solano County Office of Education consortium that would bill private insurance (with parental consent) for some school-based mental-health services, exploring operational changes such as in-school device access to reduce damage and replacement costs, pursuing grants and other one-time funds, and continuing to prioritize programs in LCAP planning. The administration said the insurance-billing effort requires a medical electronic record system and will take time to implement.
Board members asked about timing and decision authority for potential trade-offs and whether the board will have input. Dr. Beatson said that, absent a new ongoing funding stream, the one-time positions cannot be sustained and that the district will solicit LCAP feedback from families and staff as it weighs options.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; trustees asked the administration to return with additional budget analysis and opportunities for community input.
