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District budget shows $2.4 million projected deficit for 2024–25; board schedules adoption June 18
Summary
Budget staff presented the 2024–25 budget showing projected unrestricted revenues of $161.1 million and expenditures of $163 million, a projected $2.4 million deficit, and a planned ending unrestricted fund balance of about $15.7 million; the budget will be returned for adoption on June 18.
Budget staff opened the public hearing on the Los Banos Unified School District’s 2024–25 budget and walked the board through revenue assumptions, multi-year projections and priorities.
The presenter said the district projects a beginning unrestricted fund balance of $18.1 million and anticipates unrestricted revenues of $161.1 million and expenditures of $163 million for 2024–25, producing a projected deficit-spending of approximately $2.4 million next year. The presenter said salary and benefit costs account for roughly 78% of unrestricted LCFF-funded expenditures and noted that payroll reserves ($3.5 million) do not cover a full month of payroll (about $8 million), so the district will monitor cash and rely on fund balance and one-time federal/state carryover resources.
The presentation summarized multi-year assumptions, including step-and-column salary increases and conservative enrollment and ADA projections (projected enrollment ~11,480; ADA ~10,248). The presenter also described how recent state actions (May Revision) affected projections: a modest COLA increase of 1.07% and proposed shifts or deferrals that could affect revenues and timing.
On specific items, the presenter said the budget currently excludes two large grants pending award letters (a Community Schools Grant previously valued at $20 million and an EPA electric bus grant of $3.5 million) because award letters were not yet available; those would appear in the first interim if received.
The public hearing was closed with no comments; the budget will return to the board for adoption on June 18.
Why it matters: The budget’s projected deficit and the high share of expenditures tied to salaries and benefits affect the district’s multi-year fiscal stability, reserve levels and capacity to absorb state funding shifts.
Next steps: Staff will monitor cash flow and available one-time funds and bring the budget back to the board for adoption at the June 18 meeting.
