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Escondido Union warns of budget risk after losing 497 students; board plans targeted retention campaign
Summary
District staff told the board that 497 students left year‑over‑year (a funded ADA shortfall of roughly 280 vs. projection), reducing base LCFF revenue by about $138,000; staff proposed a targeted outreach and marketing action plan beginning with the large 5th-to-6th grade loss.
Michelle Cagle presented the first interim financial report and highlighted the district's exposure to declining enrollment. She said the governor's TK add-on accounts for about $1.7 million of the revenue increase, while the LCFF base declined by $138,000 because of lower enrollment. "Although this increase in revenue is good for us, I want to point out that the increase in LCFF revenue is strictly tied to the TK add on... our base LCFF actually decreased by $138,000," Cagle said.
Cagle and other staff showed a chart indicating a year-to-year loss of 497 students; the funded ADA shortfall versus the budget projection is roughly 280 students. Staff broke down where students went: large shares to out-of-district public schools and charter providers, with top destination counts including 71 to San Marcos, 29 to Poway and 40 to San Diego. "If this steep decline continues to happen year over year, then we will be facing a financial cliff on our funding," Cagle warned.
Trustees discussed tactical steps: tracing individual student destinations using CALPADS, middle‑school showcases and targeted communication for parents, expanded open houses, and a district marketing push to showcase programs. Board members stressed the need for a data-driven outreach plan and asked staff to return to the February budget workshop with more granular reports and a public engagement timeline.
