Laguna Beach USD certifies positive 2025–26 interim budget; pool modernization bids under review
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Summary
The board certified a positive first interim financial report Dec. 11 and was briefed that bid openings for the LBHS pool modernization closed with initial tallies near the architect’s $25 million budget; staff said award recommendations will come in January.
The Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education voted Dec. 11 to certify a positive 2025–26 first interim financial report after a presentation by Business Director Roy Chaudhary and finance lead Raymond Lee.
Chaudhary said the first interim reflects the first three months of the fiscal year and noted stable local property tax revenue. Lee told trustees the district now projects property tax revenue near $79.5 million — about $623,000 higher than earlier estimates — and that state and federal one-time grant inflows lifted the revenue outlook. He also summarized increased expenditures driven by completed bargaining agreements, salary adjustments and service contract updates.
The board heard the staff caution that the budget model includes a planning assumption of an $11 million general-fund transfer to the capital improvement fund for the LBHS pool project; any actual transfer would require a separate board resolution. Superintendent Glass reported the pool modernization bid packages were opened publicly Dec. 11 and said “based on the initial tally, the project appears to come within the architect’s budget of $25,000,000.” Staff emphasized a 10-day bid review and protest window before recommendations come back.
Trustees asked about the district’s options for covering an identified health‑insurance overrun (a topic raised earlier in the meeting). Chaudhary said the board must decide whether to reallocate one-time state discretionary funds (Student Support and Professional Development block grant) or absorb costs from the general fund and that any such change would be reflected in a budget revision and brought to the board for approval.
Board action: The board approved the positive certification as presented.
