Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Enrollment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District projects higher COLA but flags declining enrollment and 'right‑sizing' needs
Summary
At the June 4 meeting Colton Joint Unified staff presented the proposed 2026–27 budget, citing an augmented COLA of about 4.31%, projected enrollment of about 17,830 and rising salary and benefit costs; board members discussed the need to 'right‑size' facilities and staffing in response to enrollment declines.
District finance staff on Thursday presented the Colton Joint Unified School District’s proposed 2026–27 budget and multi‑year projections, warning that rising personnel costs and declining enrollment will require planning to balance resources.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Gregory Frum led the budget presentation and described assumptions behind the district’s multi‑year forecast: projected enrollment of 17,830 students, a P‑2 ADA of about 16,692, a 2.3% salary increase assumption for employees and an augmented COLA the presenter described as 4.31% under the state May Revision.
Frum covered one‑time and ongoing funding items, noted a projected district fund balance that stays above the required 3% minimum in his scenario and highlighted increases in certificated and classified salary costs and health benefits as ongoing pressure on the budget. He said the district intends to adopt the budget at the June 18 meeting.
“The augmented COLA for [2026–27] is 4.31%,” Frum said during the presentation, describing how the change affects LCFF calculations and the district’s multi‑year projections.
Board members pressed for specifics about the district’s enrollment decline and its operational consequences. One board member noted that a school needs roughly 600 students to break even and said the district must begin planning to right‑size facilities, staff and programing.
“600 students is where you break even point,” a board member said, urging the district to consider repurposing sites and balancing enrollment to avoid losses. District staff replied that planning is underway and that the district is considering options to retain and attract students while being mindful of neighborhood continuity.
The board did not adopt the budget on June 4; staff said they will return June 18 for formal adoption and that state actions (for example, the governor’s signing of the state budget) could change the district’s assumptions.
Key figures presented by district staff included an enrollment estimate of 17,830 students, an estimated fund balance above 3% in the multi‑year projection, and a proposed 2.3% salary increase for employees in the coming year. The presentation also flagged potential future budget adjustments tied to STRS and PERS rate projections.
