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Inglewood chief business official briefs board on governor's budget; urges advocacy for AB 51 and local adjustments
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Rafael Guzman told the board the governor's budget projects a Prop 98 minimum guarantee but reduced the expected COLA to 2.43%, leaving districts to manage local enrollment and pension pressures; he urged community advocacy on AB 51, special-education funding and regional COLA considerations.
Rafael Guzman, the district's assistant superintendent of business services and chief business official, briefed the board on the governor's proposed 2025'26 budget and its likely effects on Inglewood Unified.
Guzman described Prop 98 as the principal state funding mechanism for schools and said the governor revised the Prop 98 minimum guarantee downward from an expected $119 billion to roughly $117.6 billion. He noted that projected COLA for 2025'26 was revised to 2.43% (down from a previous 2.93% estimate) and cautioned that local factors such as declining average daily attendance (ADA) and the end of one'time COVID-era funds will pressure district budgets.
"The risk to the budget is really more of a local factor," Guzman said, pointing to enrollment and ADA as drivers of a district's share of state funds. He also flagged rising pension obligations (CalSTRS and CalPERS) and the effect of expiring one-time dollars on staffing decisions.
Guzman urged the community to support legislative changes that could aid the district, including Assembly Bill 51, which would eliminate the interest portion of the district's state loan and was described at the meeting as targeted relief for Inglewood and Oakland. Board President Margaret Turner Evans said the district would organize a letter-writing campaign in support of AB 51.
Guzman also presented the district's cash flow for December and multiyear projections, reporting about $111 million starting cash for December, receipts and expenditures that month that produced an ending balance near $129 million and a projected June balance near $124 million. He said the cash position is currently strong but emphasized structural risks if enrollment drops or costs continue to rise.
Board members pressed for further detail on special-education funding and on strategies to replace contracted services with in-house hires where possible; Guzman and other leaders said recent increases to pay and strategic hiring have already enabled some successful recruitments and could reduce reliance on expensive contractors over time.
The board did not take immediate action on the state budget items; Guzman framed this as informational and urged continued advocacy and local fiscal planning.
