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Poway Unified board adopts first interim budget report, cites $2 million improvement
Summary
The Poway Unified School District board on Dec. 11 approved the district's first interim financial report and Resolution No. 25-2026 to revise the 2025–26 budget, citing a roughly $2 million improvement in the unrestricted deficit driven largely by new state transitional kindergarten funding and targeted savings.
The Poway Unified School District board voted unanimously Dec. 11 to adopt its first interim financial report and Resolution No. 25-2026 to revise the 2025–26 budget.
Chief Financial Officer Eric Dill told trustees the district’s financial picture had improved since the adopted budget in June, with the unrestricted deficit falling from about $7.6 million to roughly $5.6 million. Dill attributed the change to newly confirmed state funding tied to transitional kindergarten, careful capture of vacancy savings and enrollment-based staffing adjustments, and recognition of one-time carryover dollars. “The ending balance improves by $2 million,” Dill said during his presentation.
The presentation reviewed revenue shifts (including a TK add-on in LCFF and adjustments for Proposition 28 and other state block grants), recent deferred revenue recognitions for multi-year projects such as HVAC upgrades, and expenditure updates tied to materials, capital outlays and Chromebook leases. District staff emphasized that a portion of the improvement came from timing and one-time funds; persistent structural shortfalls remain in multi-year projections and the board directed staff to continue program reviews and candidate budget solutions.
Trustees asked for follow-up detail on the English learner program investments, the composition of the $3.4 million TK-related revenue change, and the timing for specific reduction proposals. Superintendent Dr. Churchill and staff said more refined proposals and an updated projection will be presented after the governor’s January budget release and additional data analyses.
The board passed the resolution on a motion and second and recorded the approval as unanimous. District leadership said they will return in January with updates on revenue assumptions and recommended next steps for budget development and any required ongoing reductions.
What’s next: staff will refine the multi-year projection after the governor’s January budget, continue program reviews for potential ongoing reductions, and present recommendations to the board in the coming months.
