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Garvey Board approves First Interim Report, staff say $3.2 million gap remains to be closed
Summary
The Garvey Board of Education on Dec. 12 approved its 2024–25 First Interim Report with a Positive Certification, after staff told trustees the district can meet obligations through 2026–27 while projecting an estimated $3.2 million additional reduction is needed to preserve long-term stability.
The Garvey Board of Education unanimously approved the district’s 2024–25 First Interim Report on Dec. 12, certifying that the district can meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year and the following two years.
Chief Business Officer Rafael Gaeta told trustees that “the district's budget certification is positive and the district will meet its three-year plan.” Fiscal Director Marvin Lee reviewed revenue and expenditure assumptions, telling the board that inflation, the exhaustion of COVID-era funds (spent as of September 2024) and declining enrollment continue to press district finances.
Lee said LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) revenue is increasing through 2026–27 because of statutory COLA increases but “not according to costs,” and highlighted rising employer costs for pension (STRS/PERS) and health and welfare. Board members were given a multi-year fiscal stabilization plan that includes prior personnel cost reductions such as an early retirement incentive and possible future actions including targeted reductions in force, reassigning funding sources and other expenditure reductions.
Superintendent Anita Chu told the board the district is pursuing programmatic strategies to bolster enrollment, noting a recent net increase of 112 inter-district transfers, including 96 Dual Language students transferred in. Chu said the district began hiring Community School Specialists on Nov. 1 and that communication and documentation systems for those programs are in place.
Staff presented revised estimates showing the additional expenditure reduction needed to maintain positive certification declined from an estimated $5.6 million in June to about $3.2 million in December. When asked by Trustee John Nunez whether COVID relief funds had been fully spent, staff replied those funds were exhausted as of September 2024.
The board approved the First Interim Report on a 5–0 vote (motion by Andrew Yam; seconded by Maureen Chin). The certification cites Education Code sections governing interim reporting and certification.
