County names fiscal adviser after San Ysidro certifies negative budget

San Diego County Office of Education officials told the San Ysidro School District Board of Education on Jan. 15 that the district's first interim budget certification for 2025-26 is "negative," and the county has appointed Dr. Timothy Glover as a fiscal adviser to help the district address projected multi-year shortfalls.

At a presentation to the board, Brent Watson and Natalie Sharp of the county outlined their oversight role and said the district's ending fund balance has fallen toward and below the state-required 3% reserve in recent years. County staff reviewed multi-year projections showing the district's projected ending fund balance for 2025-26 at or near the low single digits and noted risks for the following fiscal years.

The county described specific steps available to respond to a negative certification, including developing and imposing budget revisions, exercising stay-and-rescind authority over board actions inconsistent with fiscal health, assisting the district to develop a financial plan, and appointing a fiscal adviser ' the option the county chose. Dr. Glover, introduced at the meeting, said his role will be collaborative and focused on returning the district to a certified status other than "negative." "If we hold ' the commitments we've heard tonight ' and work with all stakeholders, we'll be okay," Glover said.

Board members pressed county staff and Glover on timeline and options. County staff stressed the cadence of interim reporting: the district already filed a first interim (December), will file a second interim around March 15 (reviewed by the county by April 15), and a third interim in May; those filings are opportunities to revise projections and adopt corrective actions. As a district with a negative certification, the board must obtain county approval before entering nonvoter-approved debt transactions (e.g., COPs, TRANs) and must submit bargaining disclosures 10 days before taking related board action.

The county presentation emphasized partnerships: the Office will provide a fiscal expert to work on numbers behind the scenes and will assist district staff with scenario analysis. Officials also said the county has the authority to develop and impose a revision if necessary, and that appointment of a fiscal adviser is intended to help the district craft a path back to stability.

Next steps identified at the meeting include working with the appointed fiscal adviser and county fiscal experts to analyze assumptions, identify savings or revenue options, refine March interim projections, and prepare for the May reporting cycle. The county and Dr. Glover said they will attend board and cabinet meetings and provide technical support but emphasized their role is advisory and supportive.

The county presentation and appointment mark a formal escalation of fiscal oversight under California practice for districts with negative interim certifications. The board did not take a separate vote on the county action during this item; county staff said the fiscal adviser appointment was a county office action.