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Trustee presses for documents after $11.4M budget change; board approves AB 1200 despite dissent
Summary
Trustee Renee Longshore asked the district for documentation about an $11.4M change between the adopted and projected 2025‑26 budget; finance staff pointed to post‑adoption restricted revenue and a corrected block‑grant entry. The board nonetheless approved the AB 1200 certification for the CSEA settlement with one dissent.
Trustee Renee Longshore repeatedly questioned district financial staff on Oct. 2 about a roughly $11.4 million increase shown in the district’s 2025‑26 budget projection relative to unaudited actuals, asking staff to provide grant award notifications and a clear paper trail for the revenue recognition.
Assistant/Finance staff Matthew Schulenburg told the board the variance largely reflected restricted revenues recognized after budget adoption, including a community‑schools block grant that had initially been budgeted as a five‑year allocation in one year and later corrected to reflect installments across fiscal years. Schulenburg told trustees the county opened budget adjustments earlier than typical this year, enabling the district to update revenue estimates before unaudited actuals were finalized.
Trustee Longshore said the district should provide the grant award notice and a timeline for when funds were budgeted and recognized so trustees could see how the changes affect the district’s unrestricted reserves. "I would like to see where this money came from," she said.
The question gained urgency because the AB 1200 summary presented for the CSEA tentative agreement showed the settlement would reduce the district’s unassigned, unappropriated ending fund balance; Schulenburg explained that additional expenditures tied to the settlement lower the ending fund balance unless matched by additional revenue. The board approved signing the AB 1200 summary in open session; Longshore cast the lone no vote on that certification.
The board directed staff to provide the requested documentation and said they would consider a special session or other public follow‑up if trustees remained unsatisfied with the explanation and supporting evidence.
Next steps: Finance staff told the board they can provide the grant‑award notifications and timing to Trustee Longshore as early as the next day; the board asked for continued transparency on E‑rate reimbursements and the timing of restricted grant flows that affect reserves and cash management.
