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Lancaster School District reports modest 2023–24 surplus, warns of state cash deferrals
Summary
Chief Financial Officer Maria told the board the district ended 2023–24 with a combined fund balance of about $63.99 million and reported unrestricted and restricted surpluses, while warning state cash‑deferral timing could delay some revenue into July 2025.
Maria, the district’s Chief Financial Officer, presented the adopted 2023–24 financial report, saying the district closed the year with a combined fund balance of about $63.99 million.
She told the board that unrestricted revenues — including Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) revenue presented in the slide deck as roughly $188.20 million — and unrestricted expenditures (salaries and benefits, supplies and services, capital outlay) produced an unrestricted surplus of about $1.84 million. Restricted (grant and federal) resources generated a reported restricted surplus of about $5.86 million, yielding a combined increase of roughly $7.82 million for the year, as presented.
The presentation broke down purchase‑order activity across categories, including field trips, arts and music, library materials, routine maintenance and technology licensing, and showed total supplies and services spending (restricted and unrestricted) of about $62.96 million.
Board members asked several clarification questions. A member asked whether instrument orders accounted for large band programs; staff confirmed multiple purchase orders for instruments were created to serve large band rosters. Board members also asked about the timing and limitations of encumbering one‑time federal ELOP funds; Maria said some one‑time funds were extended through Sept. 30 so districts could encumber them, but the district will not be able to encumber all one‑time federal dollars and is working to liquidate as much as possible.
Maria warned that state cash deferrals will shift revenue timing: a deferral scheduled for June 2025 means some funds will arrive in July 2025. She emphasized the district’s prior board‑approved assignments and reserves place it in a strong position to manage deferrals. She also noted AB 200 requirements for multi‑year cash‑flow analysis and said the district will present any recommended unassignments to the board for action.
Enrollment and student counts were presented alongside the budget. Staff reported K–8 enrollment of 13,712 as of the prior Friday, a decline of roughly 160 students from the same month last year, and said the district served 355 ECE students and reported students experiencing homelessness (reported as 774).
What happens next: the board retains oversight of assignments and reserves and staff said any changes (for example, unassigning funds) would return to the board as agenda items for formal approval.
