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Santee Unified board warns of multi‑year structural deficits after budget workshop
Summary
At its March 4 meeting the Santee Unified School District Board received a budget workshop that flagged multi‑year structural deficits despite a $92M revenue base, an $18M unrestricted→restricted transfer, and reserves projected to decline to about 9.3% by 2026‑27.
Dr. Marcia Hamilton, assistant superintendent of business services, told the Board the district’s combined general fund revenue is about $92 million while total combined expenditures are approximately $98.95 million, creating structural pressure once an $18,034,475 unrestricted contribution to restricted programs is made.
Hamilton walked the Board through Proposition 98 mechanics, the Governor’s proposed budget (including maintenance‑factor repayments), Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) per‑student calculations, Average Daily Attendance protections and a rising unduplicated pupil percentage (reported at 48.83% for 2024‑25 but funded on 42.68% until 2026‑27). She told trustees that without state protections the district would have lost roughly $2.17 million in 2024‑25 and emphasized that timing of the May Revise could change projected repayments tied to Prop 98.
The presentation included multi‑year projections that show a structural deficit in unrestricted funds of $3,225,665 for 2024‑25 after the mandated transfer to restricted funds, with reserves falling from roughly 22.24% to an estimated 9.28% by 2026‑27 if current assumptions hold. Hamilton recommended ongoing monitoring of the May Revise, position control reviews, and prioritizing facility and technology commitments funded from designated reserves.
Board members asked questions about the composition of restricted funds (including $2.0M in developer fees and $2.6M in land sale proceeds in Fund 25) and one‑time technology payments remaining from prior set‑asides. The workshop closed with a timeline: Governor’s budget review in January, budget workshop in March, May Revise monitoring in spring, and formal adoption in June.
