Rialto Unified presents 2026–27 budget proposal and warns of multiyear shortfall risk

At the Rialto Unified School District board meeting on June 10, district fiscal staff outlined the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget and multiyear projections, saying the district faces ongoing financial pressure as enrollment declines.

Diane Romo, Executive Director of Fiscal Services, told trustees that the district's budget picture includes a projected total of about $522 million for 2026–27 and that much of the revenue picture depends on state funding formulas and one-time allocations. "Esta noche hay una presentación presupuestal," Romo said, explaining that the governor's May revision had increased state revenue projections but that many of the gains were one-time or contingent. She said the district expects portions of the increase to be nonrecurring and warned that the district must plan for variability in future years.

Nicolás Alfiso, who led the technical portion of the presentation, emphasized assumptions behind the district's multiyear projections, including steady losses in enrollment. "Cada año perdemos alrededor de 400 a 500 estudiantes," Alfiso said, noting that the district factors those declines into ADA and revenue forecasts. He and Romo explained that the district uses multiyear projections required by California law to check solvency and that those tools show a narrowing reserve in later years if revenues and enrollment do not improve.

Staff identified several one-time or limited-duration investments in the proposed budget: roughly $6.7 million estimated for cybersecurity and licensing and about $5.8 million for classroom technology, both described as primarily one-time costs that would not remain on the base budget in later years. Romo also walked trustees through the composition of state and federal funds, including LCFF (the local control funding formula), targeted funds for foster youth, English learners and low-income students, and federal Title programs.

Board members pressed staff about the difference between enrollment (students registered) and ADA (average daily attendance, the basis for many funding calculations). Romo and Alfiso replied that district charts separate the two: "la franja azul es la matriculación... la franja roja es, ¿cuántos alumnos están de hecho asistiendo a la escuela?" Alfiso explained that declines in attendance can reduce ADA and thus revenue even if enrollment lines do not fall at the same rate.

Trustees asked staff about contingency planning if state revenues change or one-time funds do not materialize. Romo said the district had modeled conservative revenue scenarios and would return to the board with subsequent adjustments if assumptions shift during the state's budget process. The board was told the proposed budget would be posted for public inspection per the legal schedule and that final adoption occurs at a later meeting after required public notice.

What happens next: staff will post the proposed budget for the statutorily required inspection period, answer follow-up questions from trustees, and return with any revisions or an adoption recommendation at a future public meeting.