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Budget briefing: Arcadia Unified projects 2.87% COLA, $1.9M in enhancements and a $2M deficit‑reduction plan
Summary
District business staff presented budget assumptions for 2026–27 projecting a 2.87% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), a modest enrollment increase, $1.9 million in enhancements and a $2 million deficit-reduction plan that includes salary/benefit shifts, solar savings and other measures.
Business services led a detailed budget update May 12 outlining the district's assumptions, planned enhancements and reductions for 2026–27. The presentation projected a COLA of 2.87%, an estimated enrollment increase of 0.5% (about 54 students at Arcadia Unified for an enrollment projection of 9,149), and steady parcel tax receipts at $4.5 million.
Presenter Mr. Bong walked the board through revenue and expense drivers: LCFF growth tied to COLA, a projected $4.1 million LCFF increase associated with the COLA, and a CTE incentive grant assumed at $500,000 (a grant that requires a 2:1 local match). On benefits and liabilities, staff projected the PERS rate near 26.4% next year and STRS steady at 19.1%.
Mr. Bong said total planned enhancements were about $1,900,000, with unrestricted ongoing enhancements of roughly $2.3 million offset by $2.0 million from the district's deficit reduction plan, yielding a net unrestricted ongoing increase of about $300,000. Unrestricted one-time items (noted in the presentation as collaboration-day salaries and benefits) were about $1.3 million. The district also listed restricted one-time funding for a Baldwin Stocker preschool playground replacement at roughly $300,000.
On the savings side, staff highlighted multiple strategies: shifting eligible positions to restricted funding sources (about $680,000), anticipated solar-panel savings (presenter referenced $723,000 in projected year‑2 savings as an estimate), school and department reductions targeted at roughly $125,000 incremental savings, and an absence-recovery program that had improved attendance and generated revenue.
Educational services reported attendance improvements: attendance rose from 96.16% (2023–24) to 97.4% after an absence-recovery pilot and is currently reported at 98.43% this year, which the presenter said equated to 21,692 recovered days and an estimated $1.5 million in revenue. During Q&A, board members asked about COLA funding and the upcoming May revise from the governor; staff said they would return with updates after the May revise.
