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Wiseburn board adopts second-interim budget with positive certification amid multiyear deficit projections
Summary
The Wiseburn Unified School District board voted 4–0 to approve the district’s 2025–26 second interim budget as "positive," while staff warned of a nearly $900,000 projected deficit in 2026–27, the expiration of one-time funds and rising special-education costs. The district remains positively certified and meets the 3% reserve requirement.
The Wiseburn Unified School District board voted unanimously to adopt the district’s 2025–26 second interim budget report with a "positive" certification at its March 12 meeting.
Superintendent Blake presented the second interim, explaining the statutory requirement to report on multiyear projections and walking the board through key assumptions: a projected enrollment of about 2,576 students, an assumed average daily attendance of roughly 94.5 percent, and cost-of-living adjustments used in multiyear modeling. Blake said the district is projecting increased special-education costs and noted the expiration of one-time funds used to cover compensation-related commitments, which together contribute to a projected net deficit of nearly $900,000 in 2026–27. "We are positively certified," Blake said, "and we do meet our 3% reserve," but he cautioned that multiyear projections depend on the governor’s May revise, negotiated labor agreements and other variables.
The presentation highlighted several specifics that affect the outlook: the unduplicated pupil percentage (approximately 34.7 percent), continued statutory class-size requirements for TK–3 tied to the CSR add-on, and ongoing step-and-column salary growth and employer contribution projections for retirement systems. Staff identified a one-time fund expiration of about $368,207 hitting the general fund in 2027–28 as a material pressure in the multiyear forecast.
Board members and staff discussed transparency and monitoring steps; staff said they are planning outreach, possible zero-based budgeting exercises and continued use of onetime dollars where appropriate to smooth near-term impacts. Blake noted the district will update projections after P2 certification and the state May revise.
The board adopted the item by roll-call vote 4–0. The action was taken as item 12.1 on the agenda; staff emphasized that continued monitoring and upcoming budget deadlines (including a final budget by late June) will shape next steps.
