Poway Unified certifies second interim budget and adopts $10 million reduction commitment

The Poway Unified School District Board of Education on March 13 certified its second interim financial report and adopted resolutions that commit the district to identify $10 million in expenditure reductions across the coming year.

At a presentation to the board, finance staff summarized changes since the first interim report: additional restricted grant awards (including a $3.4 million Cal‑SHEP pass‑through award) and some federal and state adjustments that improved the short‑term picture, but a reduced state COLA projection lowered expected revenue next year by about $2 million. Presenter Mr Dill told the board the report would support a “positive certification,” meaning the district expects to meet obligations for the current year and the next two years if planned reductions proceed.

Superintendent Dr Churchill described a three‑year glide path that aims for reserve stability by 2027–28 and explained staff will pursue a mix of non‑personnel savings and targeted personnel reductions to reach the $10 million target. The reorganization presented to the board would reduce district office management positions and is estimated to produce roughly $2 million of the total reductions.

Trustees framed the action as driven by the end of pandemic-era, one‑time federal and state grants that had funded many temporary positions. “We knew the money was limited in duration,” Trustee Michelle Conor Radcliff said during discussion, noting that some supports added during the pandemic cannot be sustained without ongoing revenue. Board members repeatedly urged staff to prioritize non‑personnel cuts where feasible and to pursue attrition and other options before layoffs.

The board moved and seconded the resolution to approve the second interim report and accompanying reduction resolutions; the motions carried unanimously (6–0). Board members and staff reiterated that statutory timelines require March notifications in order to preserve options and that some notifications could be rescinded if resignations, retirements or new revenue materialize before final budget adoption in June.

Next steps: staff will continue identifying non‑personnel savings, negotiate with bargaining units through interest‑based bargaining, and return to the board with additional budget materials during upcoming workshops and at the June budget adoption meeting.