LEUSD Approves Balanced Budget Ahead Of State Funding Decision

The Lake Elsinore Unified School District governing board on Thursday approved a balanced 2011-2012 budget, not yet knowing how much the state will reduce or replace in education funding.

The $160.8 million district budget assumes that a $349 per student cut in average daily attendance funding.

Average daily attendance in the district stands at about 20,550. The district currently receives a little more than $5,000 per student based on ADA.

In addition to dollar reductions, student numbers have declined in recent years.

“We have nearly a 1 percent decline in average daily attendance,” said George Landon, assistant superintendent, Fiscal Support Services for the LEUSD.

The district is not yet sure how much its new Southern California Online Academy will help boost ADA. ( to read more about the Academy.)

The budget also assumes $6.6 billion in new state revenue, which would provide an additional $3 billion to schools. An extension in state taxes would be needed to provide the additional funding.

The district's fiscal support services does not recommend spending the additional money until the California budget has been adopted.

Gov. Jerry Brown said Thursday that he remains in negotiations to get four Republican votes needed to call a special tax election. The election would allow voters to decide whether to extend increases in sales, vehicle and personal income taxes for up to five years.

“The governor could propose a different budget by this weekend,” Landon said.

Also, the district and its California School Employees Association Chapter came to an agreement to increase unpaid furlough days from one last school year to six in 2011-12.

The agreement constitutes an approximate $652,600 savings to the district.

In addition, the district will carry a $20.4 million surplus from 2010-2011 into the new fiscal year.

But the district will have to tighten its belt when it comes to operating expenses and capital outlays. Operating expense revenue will fall from $16.3 million this year to $13.9 million in the new budget.

Capital outlay revenue, which pays for things like vehicles, repairing school equipment and buying furniture, will drop from $317,231 to $100,210 in fiscal year 2011-2012.

The biggest expense to the district remains salaries and benefits, which constitutes 84 percent of the budget. Certificated salaries dropped slightly from $80.6 million to $80.1 million in the new budget.

Classified salaries hold steady at about $22.8 million.

Benefits jumped from $33.6 million in the current budget to slightly more than $35 million in the 2011-12 budget.