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Los Altos School District board adopts 2026–27 budget and LCAP, approves routine year‑end fiscal measures
Summary
The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the 2026–27 budget and the district Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), approved several routine year‑end fiscal resolutions including an Education Protection Account expenditure plan, and passed temporary interfund authority and staff contract extensions.
The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the district’s 2026–27 budget on a positive certification and approved the 2026–27 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) at its final regular meeting of the 2025–26 school year.
Trustee Stella moved to approve the LCAP and Trustee Jim seconded; the board approved the plan after staff said the documents had been presented at a prior meeting. Trustee Brandon moved to adopt the budget and Trustee Jim seconded; the vote was unanimous.
District staff said the proposed budget aligns with LCAP goals and carries a positive certification required by state standards. Eric (district staff) told trustees that, in prior calculations, adding roughly 900 district students would require an estimated "maybe five or six million" in additional staffing costs. He also summarized per‑student cost differences the district tracks: "the cost of the special ... students [is] about $90,000 per year versus a general education student [at] roughly $26,000," Eric said.
During the budget discussion a parent who identified themself as Kurt questioned per‑student cost allocations and suggested that some charter students (BCS) produced apparent savings when measured on certain per‑student calculations. Kurt said, "there's just always this outcry of BCS costing LSD a lot, but it looks like BCS industry kids are saving LSD a lot," and urged the board to revisit plans for an offsite campus given declining enrollment. The board responded by inviting stakeholders to meet with staff to review complex budget details.
The board also considered and approved several routine year‑end fiscal items: Resolution 25/26‑9 authorizing year‑end budget transfers to allow the business office to balance accounts, Resolution 25/26‑20 adopting an Education Protection Account (Prop 55) expenditure plan (staff reported $649,000 in Prop 55 revenue, earmarked in the plan for positions including school psychologists), and Resolution 25/26‑21 permitting temporary interfund borrowing to manage cash‑flow timing from tax receipts (to be repaid within the fiscal year). All measures passed unanimously.
Votes at a glance • Adopt 2026–27 district budget — mover: Brandon; seconder: Jim; outcome: approved unanimously. • Approve 2026–27 LCAP — mover: Stella; seconder: Jim; outcome: approved unanimously. • Resolution 25/26‑9 (year‑end budget transfers) — outcome: approved by roll call (all yes). • Resolution 25/26‑20 (Education Protection Account expenditure plan; Prop 55) — outcome: approved unanimously; reported Prop 55 revenue: $649,000. • Resolution 25/26‑21 (temporary interfund transfers) — outcome: approved unanimously.
What this means The adopted budget and associated resolutions give the district the fiscal authority and cash‑management flexibility it expects to need for 2026–27 and formalize the district’s plan for the categorical funds tied to Proposition 55. Trustees repeatedly encouraged members of the public with technical questions about allocations to meet with district staff for detailed review.
The board also approved several personnel and administrative actions (see Votes at a glance and the separate articles for contract and policy items), and will reconvene for the next regular meeting in August.
