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Glendale Elementary District board approves FY25 financial report after staff warns of special-education shortfall
Summary
The board unanimously approved the district's FY25 annual financial report after staff said special education and transportation are underfunded and that roughly $4 million in general funds are being used to cover special-education costs; administrators warned ongoing enrollment declines will keep pressure on classroom percentages.
The Glendale Elementary District Board of Education voted to approve the district's FY25 annual financial report at its meeting after a staff presentation that flagged persistent funding pressures for special education and transportation. The board approved the report by recorded 'Aye' votes from Board Members Jaramillo, Wilson and Bartels and Board President Martinez.
Mike Barragan, the district's presenter on the AFR, told the board that salaries and benefits made up about 72% of the maintenance and operations budget in the most recent year and that federal one-time funds used in prior years are being exhausted, which will likely push that share higher in FY26. "For salary and benefits, we spent 72%," he said, adding that the district expects that percentage to increase as one-time federal funds are used up.
Barragan outlined special education finances in detail: "We receive about $11,600,000 out of the state's calculation for special education, but we're spending about $15,700,000, which means that over $4,000,000 is being used from what I would say is regular education to continue to support special education," he said. He also noted federal IDEA funding of roughly $3.2 million, which he characterized as covering only about 15% of the district's special-education spending.
Board members and staff framed the shortfall as a structural pressure. Board Member Jaramillo said the presentation "reminds all of us that it's a mathematical equation when our student enrollment drops, which includes funding sources dropping," driving changes in per-student percentages even where staff are working to be efficient.
Barragan also discussed transportation funding, saying formula allocations underfund district transportation needs and that a significant share of certain transportation costs is driven by special education needs. He described capital-expenditure reporting tied to voter-approved overrides and noted the district could have spent up to about $14.8 million under last year's unrestricted capital limits but actually spent about $8.6 million.
On legal and timing questions about a reported lawsuit, Barragan said any financial impacts that might arise through litigation would likely take years: "If it goes through the full legal process, I think it's gonna be several years," he said, while acknowledging a legislative settlement could change that timeline.
The board approved the FY25 AFR by voice roll-call after the discussion. The district will reflect a carryforward adjustment of roughly $45,000 on the AFR pages staff referenced and will continue to report follow-up details in subsequent budget materials.
