Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rialto Unified reports $204 million in reserves but trustees warn of future deficits
Summary
The district’s finance director told the board its combined ending fund balance is about $204 million while projecting recurring pressures from textbook adoptions, salary and benefits increases and declining enrollment that will reduce reserves in coming years.
Nicolás Lisó, executive director of fiscal services for the Rialto Unified School District, told the Board of Education the district closed its books with a combined ending fund balance of about $204 million but warned that several one‑time and restricted funding streams will be exhausted in future years.
Lisó said the district is projecting multiyear cost pressures, including roughly $4.7 million in salary increases and about $6.4 million in higher health and benefits costs. He also said an anticipated adoption of new math textbooks will add about $8 million to the cost base for 2025‑26. ‘‘This brings our combined ending balance to 204 million dollars,’’ Lisó said during the presentation.
The finance director described enrollment and ADA (average daily attendance) trends as a main revenue risk: the district had projected enrollment of about 22,792 students for the 2025‑26 fiscal year but reported a current enrollment of about 22,557 — a decline of roughly 235 students that reduces the ADA used in state apportionment calculations. Lisó said some restricted funds are scheduled to be spent down in later years, and that maintaining a 3% minimum reserve target will require adjustments.
Trustees asked about steps to mitigate the projected deficit. Trustee Williams asked whether the district could increase non‑local revenues or seek other sources beyond ADA; Lisó said staff have already cut discretionary costs such as travel and are developing attendance incentives to stabilize ADA. Board members also pressed for clarity on reimbursement streams such as Medicare and special program grants that could fluctuate.
The district’s presentation included slides showing category‑level uses of restricted funds — early‑learning preschool grants, learning‑loss recovery funds used for expanded after‑school programming and mentoring, transportation reimbursement, and health‑related funds earmarked to cover employee medical costs. Lisó said some restricted funds will be exhausted by fiscal years 2026‑27 through 2028‑29, requiring reallocation to maintain services.
Board members and community attendees framed the fiscal briefing as the backdrop for later public comments urging that budget decisions prioritize special‑education supports and classroom safety. The board approved the district’s unaudited 2024‑25 financials later in the meeting and directed staff to provide supplemental information on projected impacts to future budgets.
