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District finance briefing: staff say assigned fund balance rose nearly $50 million; board presses plan to reach 3% reserve
Summary
Presenters told the Fiscal Accountability committee the districts assigned fund balance increased "by just under $50,000,000" and outlined cuts and reserve-building steps; board members pressed for a clear plan to reach the state-required 3% unassigned reserve and asked for more data on deployments and substitute coverage.
Roberto Alonso, chair of the Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee, opened the committees financial review and asked district staff for an update on reserves and budget amendments. Mr. Steiger presented the monthly financial report for the period ending March 2026 and said the districts "assigned fund balance is increasing by just under $50,000,000," a change he described as a reflection of recent district actions.
Board members pressed staff for specifics about the districts progress toward the state-required 3% unassigned fund balance. Luisa Santos noted the apparent improvement but asked where the district would land relative to its reserve percentage. Mr. Steiger said projections vary with tax-collection shortfalls and final calculations, and that the district could finish the year just above 2% unassigned at current estimates, "above the minimum requirement from the state, not yet at 3%." He said staff and the superintendent would continue outreach to Tallahassee to pursue assistance if needed.
Board members outlined the package of austerity measures that helped produce the positive movement in reserves: an early hiring freeze for nonessential central-office positions, tighter spending controls and reductions in hourly and overtime spending at school sites. Chair Rojas summarized actions taken and questioned how they affected school staffing; staff said central-office and regional personnel have been deployed to support classrooms and curricular needs and that approximately 150 curriculum-support specialists and nearly 100 exempt managers had been assigned to help fill vacancies.
Members asked for clearer, board-level data to track operational impacts. Alonso requested statistics on substitute fills, how many central-office staff are deployed to schools and which departments have been most affected. Santos asked that the board receive a short report showing how many substitutes are being requested and filled, how many central-office staff have been redeployed, and which regional offices are most impacted. Staff agreed to provide updated, itemized follow-ups before the next board meeting.
The committee did not take new policy action during the briefing; members moved the e-items to the full board and asked staff to return with the requested follow-ups so the board could assess additional steps to reach the 3% unassigned fund balance.
