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Ventura Unified presents 2024–25 unaudited actuals; trustees seek follow-up on $3.3M variances
Summary
Chief business staff reported a $2.3 million net income for 2024–25 but flagged $3.3 million in expenditure variances (notably $3.7M in services and $1.2M under supplies). Trustees asked for monthly site-level detail and a first‑interim review of substitute and contracted services spending.
Ventura Unified officials presented the district's 2024–25 unaudited actuals and fielded extensive trustee questions about revenue timing and several multi‑million‑dollar variances.
"At the close of the fiscal year, the district's annual net income came in at $2.3 million," Assan, the district's chief business officer, told trustees, adding that the final figure was about $47,000 less than the adopted estimate. He explained that revenue timing—chiefly a $1.6 million Healthy Campus grant that landed earlier than expected—helped offset higher expenditures in several categories.
On the expenditure side, staff reported that overall spending came in about $3.3 million above the April estimated-actual projection. Major drivers included higher-than-budgeted contracted services (about $3.7 million over projection), certificated substitute costs (roughly $386,000 over) and classified salaries (about $638,000 over). Supplies were under budget by roughly $1.22 million. The combined effect left the district's unrestricted ending fund balance at about $26.7 million (a 9.73% reserve).
Trustees repeatedly asked for clearer, site-level and month-by-month detail. They asked staff to separate recurring operational increases from one‑time, categorical spending and to return with tighter budget vs. actual comparisons. Trustee comments stressed the public communications challenge: coming out of a year of personnel reductions, trustees said, the district must explain variances such as cell‑phone and contracted‑services overages in terms the public can understand.
Staff proposed immediate next steps: a cell‑phone line audit, a detailed first‑interim review of substitute and classified salary trends, and clearer monthly reporting for site managers to spot anomalies earlier. The board voted 4–0 to approve the unaudited actuals and asked staff to return with the requested analyses at first interim.
"We will adjust the beginning balance at first interim," Assan said, adding that the board's multi‑year projection still reflects structural pressures and that one‑time restricted funds such as Prop 28 and certain grant dollars are temporarily buffering the general‑fund outlook.
Trustees requested that staff produce a clearer breakdown of how much of the net variance was driven by one‑time restricted spending versus recurring unrestricted overages, and to provide more granular information on substitutes, contracted services and special education costs ahead of upcoming budget decisions.
