Los Banos Unified board adopts 2025–26 budget, hears attendance and LCAP reports and approves multiple facilities resolutions

The Los Banos Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the district’s 2025–26 budget on Tuesday after a public hearing. District staff presented a proposed budget that estimates roughly $170 million in revenue, $152 million in expenditures and an ending general fund balance of about $8.9 million.

The board’s budget presenter (staff member) explained that the May revision to state funding produced a cost-of-living adjustment of about 2.3 percent and that the district’s multi-year projections assume modest COLA and conservative enrollment. The presenter warned that reserves remain below the state’s 10 percent recommended threshold and flagged ongoing pension and transportation cost pressures.

Earlier in the meeting, the board heard an attendance presentation from the district’s vendor partner, SchoolStatus (introduced as Nick Gilstrap). The vendor reported that on an average day approximately 823 students were absent this year, chronic absenteeism was roughly 24.5 percent, and one day in February saw about 4,000 absences linked in the presentation to a “Day Without an Immigrant.” The vendor said the district and partner sent 18,715 intervention notices, issued roughly 58,000 positive mailers, and scheduled about 3,600 truancy conferences — of which staff closed about 95 percent — and that conferences led to a roughly 39 percent improvement in attendance for students who participated.

Dr. Ritchie presented the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) draft and summarized nine district goals, including increased support for English learners, expanded dual-language immersion services, social-emotional and behavioral supports, literacy initiatives (120 teachers trained in intensive early-literacy coursework) and suspension reduction efforts. The presentation noted roughly $41 million in supplemental/concentration (LCFF) funds and an LCAP budget insertion of $48 million for programmatic actions.

On items requiring board action, trustees approved a sequence of resolutions and motions by roll call, including adoption of Resolution 17-25 (education protection account), authorizing signatory resolutions (13-25 and 21-25), designation of committed fund balances (14-25), interfund transfer authority (12-25), acceptance of the GASB 75 actuarial valuation, approval of the instructional continuity addendum to school safety plans, declarations of intent to adopt a universal reading screener, approval of site SIPSA plans, job descriptions for new assistant positions, purchase of two vehicles for high school band programs, a position title change (to director of multilingual services and migrant education), acceptance of the district’s initial bargaining proposal, and CEQA notices of exemption for Volta and Los Banos High modernizations. All listed motions carried unanimously except the closed-session parental early graduation vote (4–0, 2 absent).

Votes at a glance: budget adoption (roll call, unanimous), Resolution 17-25 (education protection account) adopted (roll call, unanimous), Resolution 19-25 (Volta modernization CEQA notice) adopted (roll call, unanimous), Resolution 18-25 (Los Banos High modernization CEQA notice) adopted (roll call, unanimous). The board also accepted a notice of completion for a Las Banos Junior High walk-in freezer capital project.

Board President closed the meeting after reporting the closed-session action approving a parental request for early graduation for a Pacheco High School student (motion passed 4 yes, 0 no, 2 absent).