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Santa Rita USD approves conservative first interim budget amid enrollment decline
Summary
The Santa Rita Union Elementary School District board approved its first interim budget for 2025–26 after a presentation outlining a modest enrollment drop and the sunsetting of one‑time state funds that will require multiyear reductions to preserve the board’s 17% reserve.
The Santa Rita Union Elementary School District board on Wednesday approved its first interim budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year after staff outlined enrollment declines, one‑time state funding, and a multiyear plan of reductions to maintain reserves.
Assistant Superintendent for Business (presenter) summarized the district’s fiscal assumptions, noting a current‑year enrollment decline of 68 students and a planning assumption of a 70‑student decline in each subsequent year. Staff said those projections use a conservative three‑year average for ADA (average daily attendance) funding intended to soften sharp drops in revenue.
The presentation listed roughly $1,200,000 in additional state and one‑time funds supporting the current budget year, including about $900,000 from the Student Support Block Grant, a learning recovery allocation reported at approximately $268,000, and a $100,000 restorative practices grant. Staff said some federal revenue increased, including Title I projections (about $435,000). They also attributed modest savings to staff attrition and vacancies.
Staff showed multiyear projections that assume the one‑time funds will sunset at the end of the fiscal year. To preserve the board’s 17% reserve, the district plans roughly $2,000,000 in reductions in the current year, followed by additional reductions of about $1,000,000 in 2026–27 and $1,000,000 in 2027–28 unless new revenues materialize.
Board members praised the conservative approach. One trustee said the district must “tighten our belts” and monitor expenses closely because state revenue depends on broader economic conditions.
The board voted to approve the interim budget. The motion passed with recorded support in open session (Motion 3 0). The district will bring a midyear Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) update and further budget details in February.
What to watch: staff said they will present data on student outcomes after midyear assessments and return with detailed proposals for the reductions required to maintain reserves.
