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PAUSD closes 2024–25 with $103M ending fund balance; five‑year projection shows structural deficits
Summary
Director of Fiscal Services reported that unaudited 2024–25 actuals exceeded May estimates by $5.2 million, expenditures ran $1.9 million over, and the district ended the year with a $103 million fund balance (unassigned $39M). Staff presented a five‑year projection showing structural deficits and outlined added grants and 8.35 FTE in the 2025–26 budget.
At the Aug. 19 meeting, Director of Fiscal Services Jennifer Guidry presented unaudited actuals for 2024–25 and an update to the 2025–26 budget.
Guidry told the board the district closed the 2024–25 books with less than a 1 percent variance from May estimates: revenue exceeded the May estimate by $5.2 million while expenditures were $1.9 million higher. That produced a net improvement of $3.2 million compared with the May estimate. Guidry said the district’s ending fund balance is $103,000,000; after setting aside non‑spendable, restricted and committed funds and a required 3 percent reserve, the unassigned balance is $39,000,000.
Staff highlighted components behind the changes: higher federal funding entries and accounting adjustments (GASB 87 and GASB 31), increased rental‑income and interest, and higher time‑card submissions, teacher stipends and classified vacation payouts that drove expenditure increases. For 2025–26, Guidry said the budget adds 8.35 full‑time equivalents (about $1 million) mainly to cover paid leaves and to preserve service levels; two new grants were added (approximately $3,000,000 and $1,600,000), and $7.6 million in 2024–25 grants will be deferred to 2025–26.
The staff five‑year projection through 2028–29 shows structural deficits under conservative revenue assumptions; staff said the district will monitor checkpoints with interim reports in December and March and return with recommended budget actions as needed.
Why it matters: Despite a healthy ending balance, the projection indicates ongoing fiscal pressures that will require monitoring and potential policy or program adjustments in coming years.
