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BOUSD dashboard shows strong results but board warned of enrollment-driven budget pressure and costly stadium repairs
Summary
District presented the 2023–24 California Dashboard showing mostly 'green' performance and a 94.4% graduation rate, while the assistant superintendent reported a positive first interim certification alongside declining enrollment and an $11M estimate to fix high-school site-of-travel/field issues that must meet DSA review.
Brea Olinda Unified School District's educational services and business offices told the board on Dec. 16 that the district performed well on the state's 2023–24 California Dashboard but must confront enrollment-driven revenue pressure and expensive high-school infrastructure repairs.
Lauren Tovar, administrative director of educational services, presented the dashboard, noting that most state and local indicators are in the green. The district outperformed the state by two performance levels in both English language arts and math and posted a 94.4% graduation rate compared with 86.7% statewide. Tovar said chronic absenteeism declined by 6 percentage points locally and that the district is focusing supports on long-term English learners.
In a separate financial presentation, Rick Champion, assistant superintendent of business services, said the district filed its first-interim report on time and self-certified a "positive" fiscal status for 2024–25. Champion flagged several fiscal pressures: a low state cost-of-living adjustment (1.07%), rising pension obligations (CalPERS/CalSTRS costs), expiring COVID-era block grants, and declining enrollment. Budgeted enrollment of 5,902 fell to 5,774 actual ADA at the interim, with projections showing further declines in the next two years unless retention improves. Interdistrict transfers out are concentrated to Fullerton and Placentia-Yorba Linda, and elementary transfers make up much of the loss.
Facilities staff briefed the board on the high-school stadium, track and field work that the district must perform to meet Americans with Disabilities Act path-of-travel standards and the State Division of the State Architect (DSA) rules. Staff estimated a base cost of about $3.73 million to repair the track and just over $2.1 million if lighting replacement is included; a comprehensive campus path-of-travel remediation and related engineering work was estimated at roughly $11 million. Rick Champion said the district has facility reserves and modernization credits but warned state reimbursements depend on future bond allocations and can take years to materialize.
Trustees asked for near-term repairs to make the track usable for the upcoming season and discussed contingency assumptions (15—20%) and options to value-engineer projects or seek local matching funds for specific scope items such as a new scoreboard. Board members also scheduled a February study session to prioritize Measure H bond projects and to clarify what funding sources the district can rely on for specific athletic and campus upgrades.
The board approved the first interim report with a positive certification by unanimous vote. Staff said they will continue outreach to families and consider program and scheduling adjustments intended to retain students and address interdistrict transfer patterns.
