Board approves second interim report after discussion of enrollment and contractor reductions
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Summary
The Azusa Unified board received the district's second interim financial report showing certified enrollment of 5,809, an attendance rate of 93.25%, improved LCFF revenue projections, and a targeted reduction in contract services approaching $1 million; the board approved the report with a positive certification.
The Azusa Unified School District Board of Education on March 10 accepted the district's second interim financial report and certified it as positive after staff presented updated enrollment, attendance and revenue figures and answered board questions.
Presenter Jamelle (introduced by the vice president) said the district certified enrollment at 5,809 students, an increase of 57 over the projection used at first interim, and reported a P-1 attendance rate of 93.25%. Jamelle told the board the higher attendance drives increased Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and supplemental concentration funding projections, estimating an LCFF figure described on the slide as about $96,400,000.
On expenditures, Jamelle said the district is realigning budgeted extra hours and other positions to actuals and aims to reduce contractor services by roughly $1 million as HR fills vacant, currently-contracted roles. "We have a reduction in contractor salaries of $963,000," Jamelle said, adding the district will cancel contracts as positions are staffed and that employee spending will then increase while contract-service spending decreases.
Board members asked for detail on the composition of the $1.6 million increase in local revenue; Jamelle said that projection includes site donations, fundraising and projected interest income on restricted funds and offered to provide a net-offset figure for hiring versus contract reductions.
After discussion, Board Member Arianez moved to approve the second interim report with a positive certification; Board Member Greer seconded. Student board member Jesse Pena Fernandez voted a "Yes" preference. The motion passed with board votes recorded in the meeting as a majority "Yes" and one absent.
Why it matters: The second interim is a statutorily required checkpoint that communicates the district's near-term fiscal health and its assumptions for the adopted budget cycle. Key operational items flagged for board attention were improved attendance (which increases state funding receipts) and a strategic shift from contractor services to district employees to reduce long-term contracting costs.
Next steps: Jamelle and staff will provide follow-up figures requested by board members, including the net fiscal impact of converting contract services to in-house staff and a breakdown of the projected local-revenue increase.
