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Board certifies first interim budget; staff says increases reflect one-time state funds and planned projects
Summary
Rocklin Unified's board voted to certify its first interim budget for 2025—26, with staff reporting a planned net decrease driven by one-time state grants and committed facility and safety projects; district officials said reserves remain healthy and forecasts assume no new compensation in out years.
The Rocklin Unified School District board approved a positive certification for the district's first interim budget report for fiscal year 2025—26 after a presentation by Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Stalhabber.
Stalhabber told trustees that total revenues rose by roughly $4.82 million from the adopted budget, chiefly because of one-time state allocations (including the student support and professional development block grant) and adjustments to federal and special-education funding. She said planned increases in expenditures, a projected net decrease in the fund balance and a lower committed fund total reflected planned one-time projects, including facility work and Whitney High School's field-turf project.
"Most of that is due to those one-time funds that the board committed for facility projects for our sites and for safety," Stalhabber said. She said the district still maintains a healthy fund balance after accounting for restricted and committed funds and an assigned reserve for economic uncertainty. "We are able to meet our financial obligations for the current and subsequent two years," she said, recommending a positive certification to the county office.
The board then voted to approve the district certification of ability to meet financial obligations and the related budget revision. Roll-call votes recorded "yes" from the student representative Isabella Oliveres and all trustees present.
Trustees asked follow-up questions about assumptions built into multi-year projections. Stalhabber said the projections currently include COLA assumptions earlier than the Los Angeles County's most recent forecast and do not assume additional compensation increases beyond commitments already recorded. She also noted expected enrollment declines projected by the district demographer and modest staffing adjustments in out years.
Stalhabber provided a breakdown of the professional and consulting services category after public concern about consulting spending. She explained that the category includes many activity types (technology contracts, special-education NPAs for aides, pest control, emergency repair, turf diagnostics, interpreter services and other programmatic contracts) and is not solely external consulting fees.
Next steps: The district will submit the positive certification to the county office of education, monitor costs and one-time funds, attend the governor's budget workshop in January and return with second-interim updates later in the fiscal year.
