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Cloverdale Unified business services lays out how state budget changes affect district finances
Summary
The district's business services presenter summarized how the recently passed California budget — including a 4.31% "super COLA," increased special‑education rates, a $5 billion one‑time block grant and a new 14‑week paid pregnancy leave — will affect Cloverdale Unified’s ongoing and one‑time funding.
The Cloverdale Unified School District heard a detailed business‑services briefing on the state budget’s effects on local schools, including both ongoing and one‑time funding changes.
The district’s business‑services presenter said the budget includes a statutory cost‑of‑living adjustment of 2.87% plus a supplemental "super COLA," bringing the effective increase to 4.31%. The presenter described that as "an unprecedented 4.31% COLA" tied in part to a new 14‑week paid pregnancy leave, and warned the district must track which funds are ongoing and which are one‑time.
Why it matters: the presentation explained that one‑time allocations cannot be used for ongoing obligations. The budget includes a $5 billion discretionary block grant intended as one‑time funding; the presenter estimated Cloverdale Unified’s share of that block grant at roughly $378,500. "So it's about $378,500 for our district of that part," the presenter said.
Special education and other effects: the presenter said the special‑education base rate increased by roughly $1,340 per ADA, which the presenter estimated would translate to about $693,775 for Cloverdale Unified and would reduce the district’s special‑education encroachment on the general fund from about $3 million to roughly $2.4 million. "This would alleviate 600,000 of that," the presenter said of the special‑education increase.
Uncertainties and risks: the presenter also flagged a reported $3.9 billion withholding from the Proposition 98 guarantee, calling it a significant amount likely to be litigated. "They're withholding $3,900,000,000 from our guarantee from our Prop 98 guarantee," the presenter said, and added that the state typically reconciles withheld funds later but that a true‑up may not fully offset current‑year shortfalls.
Other items: the presentation noted that state preschool COLA is different (about 2.01%), that some one‑time funds target specific groups (homeless students, teacher pipeline investments, literacy and math supports), and that Cloverdale’s high unduplicated pupil percentage (about 71%) affects eligibility for certain additional targeted funds such as Expanded Learning Opportunities.
Board response and next steps: trustees asked clarifying questions about whether increased special‑education funding would allow the district to serve more students in‑house; the presenter said many students still require placement outside the district based on needs. The board will incorporate these estimates into upcoming budget and LCAP updates, which the presenter noted are living documents and will be revised as final figures arrive.
