Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District CFO warns special-education costs are outpacing state aid, urges deeper review
Summary
The Perris Union High School District’s chief business officer told trustees the district is contributing a growing share of general-fund dollars to special education after presenting audited figures and multi-year projections that show expenditures outstripping revenues, and recommended a detailed review of identification and placement practices.
Candace, the district’s chief business officer, told the Perris Union High School District board on Feb. 25 that special-education expenditures are outpacing the state, federal and local revenues meant to cover them and require a general-fund contribution.
"When the revenues that we receive from state, federal, and local sources do not meet the needs of the total expenditures, then we have to make a contribution into that restricted fund for special education," Candace said, explaining how the district records a transfer from the unrestricted general fund to a restricted special-education fund.
She reviewed audited data for the last completed year and the district’s projection for 2024–25, saying total revenue for 2023–24 was about $12.2 million while special-education expenditures were nearly $33 million, leaving a large shortfall that the general fund must cover. Candace said the district’s contribution portion—about 64–65% in recent years—exceeds statewide patterns, citing School Services of California data.
Trustees asked whether the analysis can be broken down monthly and whether rising contribution projections reflect enrollment growth. Candace said monthly payroll and warrant-level details exist but that high-level fiscal comparisons are typically annual; she also said projected expenditure increases are driven largely by salary step and column increases, benefits, transportation and placements with nonpublic schools, not solely by enrollment increases.
She recommended a "deep dive" through the district’s planned School Services review to examine whether identification, placement and program decision processes are aligned with best practices and least-restrictive-environment principles so the district is not over-identifying services that raise costs.
The presentation materials will be provided to trustees for further review, and Candace invited members to meet individually to examine line-item detail and assumptions behind the multi-year projections.
