Carpinteria board reviews 2026-27 draft budget and approves Measure U change order
Loading...
Summary
District staff presented a draft 2026-27 budget projecting a $5.6M general-fund contribution to special education; the board approved warrants, donations, a Lexia software renewal and a $436,771.94 Measure U change order after groundwater was found at the Aliso Elementary site.
The Carpinteria Unified School District board on April 14 heard a detailed budget presentation from Jason Calf, the district's business official, and approved routine financial items including warrants, donations, a software renewal and a construction change order tied to Measure U.
Calf walked trustees through the draft 2026-27 budget assumptions: as a basic-aid district the key driver is property tax projections (staff used a 4% annual growth assumption for the out years), and major expense drivers include pension and statutory benefits (PERS/STRS) and health-and-welfare costs. Calf illustrated sample position costs, emphasizing that full-time positions carry significant statutory- and health-benefit overhead.
The presentation highlighted a structural special-education gap: projected special-education revenues of roughly $2.3 million against estimated special-education expenditures near $7.9 million, which would require a general-fund contribution of about $5.6 million for 2026-27. Calf said the district's projected unrestricted ending fund balance (estimated actuals for 2025-26) is roughly $3.6 million and that next year's reserve could be around 13.7% under his assumptions, but he warned that salary negotiations and lower-than-projected property-tax growth could materially reduce reserves.
Board members asked scenario and sensitivity questions, including worst-case property-tax scenarios and the district's reserve floor (3% minimum, about $1.2 million). Calf said the district runs multiple scenarios and monitors reserves as the main contingency vehicle.
On consent items the board approved warrants totaling $1,492,192.83 (March 6 through April 9) and accepted five donations to district programs and clubs. Trustees also approved a one-year $10,660 renewal for the Lexia Core5 literacy platform to be paid from the general-fund curriculum budget.
Measure U construction: the board approved Change Order No.1 for the Aliso Elementary TK/K classroom excavation after contractors encountered excessive groundwater at about 4.5 feet below grade; dewatering and soil-stabilization work increased costs and required a time extension. The initial change-order projection of about $485,000 was reduced in discussion to $436,771.94; the board approved the change order.
Personnel and labor matters: trustees approved the personnel summary (including one new classified hire, two IA resignations and one retirement) and adopted the district's initial proposals for certificated and classified bargaining units as well as the annual declaration of need for fully qualified educators for 2026-27.
Votes at a glance: multiple policy updates (BP/AR 0450, professional standards and student records policies) and routine consent items passed by voice or roll call with "Aye" responses recorded; the warrants, donations, Lexia renewal, change order and personnel motions were approved during the same meeting.
Next steps: staff will refine budget scenarios for the coming negotiations and present updated site-level and special-education budget implications at upcoming budget hearings scheduled for June public hearing and June 16 adoption.
