Victorville, California Development News

District Reviews 2026-27 LCAP and Budget, Projects Fiscal Soundness

The Board of Education reviewed the proposed 2026-2027 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the accompanying budget. The LCAP is a three-year plan addressing state and local priorities, with a focus on transparency in spending. The budget presentation highlighted projected revenues, expenditures, and fund balances. Key aspects included the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) revenue, augmented Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), a significant discretionary block grant for student support and professional development, and assumptions for average daily attendance (ADA) and enrollment. The district is projecting a positive certification for its budget, indicating fiscal soundness. The budget also includes provisions for 100% paid pregnancy leave for school district employees, funded through LCFF. Special education rates are expected to increase, providing relief to the general fund. The budget faces risks due to economic uncertainty, reliance on continued economic growth, potential impacts of federal policymaking, Medi-Cal costs, structural deficits at the state level, and inflation. The district's unrestricted reserve is projected to remain stable but decline over the next three years, while still staying above the state-required minimum. The district also discussed the Measure A and X general obligation bond audit, reporting no findings and a fund balance of $57 million. Additionally, the board considered a claim for damages (BSD 26-05) but decided to table the vote for further review. The budget presentation also touched upon the governor's May revision, which aims to address a Prop 98 deficit and includes one-time investments.