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Newark Unified presents draft LCAP and May Revision highlights; budget projects $59.1M LCFF revenue but warns of multi‑year reserve risk
Summary
District staff presented a relaunch of MTSS, the draft 2026–27 LCAP and a May Revision summary; the adopted 2026–27 budget projects LCFF revenue of $59.1M (funded ADA 4,344.89) but warns enrollment decline will pressure reserves in later years unless spending is reduced.
The Newark Unified School District on June 10 presented a package of instructional and fiscal proposals, including a relaunch of a Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), a draft 2026–27 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and a May Revision budget update outlining state proposals and local implications.
District presenters said the MTSS relaunch will emphasize tier‑one instructional and behavioral practices, aligned goals across sites and expanded professional learning, while acknowledging tier‑two and tier‑three supports require further development in partnership with educators. The district is also recommending adoption of a PK–12 TeachTown curriculum for certain special education classes.
In a required public hearing, staff presented the draft LCAP — a three‑year plan that aligns board and site goals to state priorities and includes a new action to fund bilingual aides’ salaries districtwide. Dr. Michelle Manriquez and other staff summarized community feedback (341 responses), noted lagging state data availability for some metrics, and said the LCAP will return for board approval June 17.
The district’s assistant superintendent/CBO (Victoria, joining remotely) outlined the governor’s May Revision highlights, including a statutory COLA of 2.87% and an augmented LCFF investment that would yield an effective 4.31% increase for some LCFF components, larger special‑education investments, a proposed paid pregnancy disability leave (up to 14 weeks full pay), and a potential student support/professional development block grant worth hundreds per ADA.
Director of fiscal services Nancy Chen and budget staff presented the 2026–27 adopted budget assumptions and multi‑year projection: a projected funded LCFF of $59.1 million (based on a funded ADA of 4,344.89), total proposed revenue of $77.3 million and expenditures of $80.6 million, producing an initial year structural deficit that the district plans to cover with beginning fund balance. Staff noted the district’s rolling three‑year funded ADA is vulnerable to continued decline and warned that by the third year reserves could fall under the state-required 3% without spending or staffing adjustments.
Board members asked for additional detail on a metric decline in EL reclassification and on ADA forecasting methodology; staff said the 2627 enrollment figure (4,330) was the best available during budgeting and agreed to follow up with a written explanation. A public commenter urged the district to run an attendance-awareness campaign and analyze whether ELOP-funded attendance recovery is a viable revenue and learning recovery strategy.
The board scheduled LCAP approval for June 17; staff said the adopted budget will be submitted to the county and adjusted if the enacted state budget (due June 15) changes assumptions.
