Thursday, February 23, 2012

LAUSD, 126 OTHER CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACING FINANCIAL TROUBLE + SPI Press Release + list of Negative and Qualified Districts

By Barbara Jones, dailynews.com  | http://bit.ly/AhBdua

2/23/2012 1:17:59 PM PST   ::  Los Angeles Unified is among 127 districts in California that are at risk of financial jeopardy, according to a report released Thursday by the state.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said nearly 2 million public school students - one-third of the state's enrollment - attend a campus facing serious financial challenges.

Seven districts, including Inglewood Unified in Los Angeles County, received a negative certification, meaning they cannot meet their financial obligations for the current or upcoming school years. This means the districts' local county office of education may intervene.

An additional 120 districts received a qualified certification, indicating the may not be able to balance their budgets through the 2013-14 school years. This certification allows the local county office of education to provide assistance.

Those districts include LAUSD, with a budget of nearly $6 billion; Antelope Valley Union High School District, with a budget of $227.5 million; and Saugus Union District, with an $84.2 million budget.

Oak Park Unified, in Ventura County, is having trouble meeting its $30 million budget, according to the state.

"The financial emergency facing our schools remains both wide and deep," Torlakson said, in releasing the state's First Interim Status Report for fiscal 2011-12. "The deep cuts made to school funding - and looming uncertainties about the future - are driving school districts

to the brink of insolvency. Plain and simple, our schools need new revenues to get back on solid financial ground."

The California Department of Education receives interim status reports twice a year on the financial status of the state's 1,037 local educational agencies.

In December, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy reported that the district had deficit of $532 million for the 2012-13 school year needed an infusion of new revenue or cuts to some of its most popular programs in order to close the gap.

The deficit has since climbed to about $550 million.

District officials are scrambling to determine which programs to trim or eliminate, with a vote scheduled for March 13. In addition, the school board has authorized placing a parcel tax of nearly $300 annually on an upcoming ballot.


California Department of Education (http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr12/yr12rel16.asp)
Page Generated: 2/23/2012 3:17:14 PM

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California Department of Education News Release

Release: #12-16
February 23, 2012

Contact: Tina Jung
E-mail: communications@cde.ca.gov
Phone: 916-319-0818

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson: One Student in

Three Attends a School District in Financial Jeopardy

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson warned today that the latest review of school district budgets shows that one-third of public school students in California attend a district in financial jeopardy.

The state's First Interim Status Report for fiscal year 2011-12 indicates that 127 districts are either in negative or qualified financial status, totaling 17 more than at this point last year. Combined, nearly 2 million students attend school in a district with serious financial challenges.

"The financial emergency facing our schools remains both wide and deep," Torlakson said. "The deep cuts made to school funding—and looming uncertainties about the future—are driving school districts to the brink of insolvency. Plain and simple, our schools need new revenues to get back on solid financial ground."

The California Department of Education semiannually receives Interim Status Reports on the financial status of the state's 1,037 local educational agencies (LEA), comprised of school districts, county offices of education, and joint powers agencies. The certifications are classified as positive, qualified, or negative. The new report shows seven districts in negative certification and 120 as qualified.

A negative certification—the most serious of the classifications—is assigned when a district will be unable to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the current year or for the subsequent fiscal year. This certification means the LEA's county office of education may intervene in the LEA's finances.

A qualified certification is assigned when the district may not meet its financial obligations for the current or two subsequent fiscal years. This certification allows the LEA's county office of education to provide assistance to the LEA.

A positive certification is assigned when the district will meet its financial obligations for the current and two subsequent fiscal years.

The number of districts in qualified or negative status declined slightly from last June when the Second Interim Status Report for FY 2010-11 was issued, but overall remain at historic highs. As late as 2006-07, only 22 districts were in negative or qualified status at any time during the fiscal year.

This new list is a compilation of the certifications of First Interim Status Reports by LEAs that were due December 15, 2011, and cover the financial and budgetary status of the districts for the period ending October 31, 2011. The certifications reflect whether the LEA is able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the current fiscal year and subsequent two fiscal years, based on projections at that point in time.

These certifications predate the Governor's budget proposal in January. Because these Interim Status Reports are snapshots in time, the LEAs' financial status may have changed since these certifications were collected.

For more information and a list of LEAs on the first Interim Status Report, please visit the Interim Status - Fiscal Status.

Related Content
  • School Financial Emergency - Reports to the education community and the public on the impact of California's state budget crisis on education funding.
List of Negative and Qualified Certifications
Local Educational Agencies
2011-12 First Interim Report
NEGATIVE CERTIFICATION

A negative certification is assigned to a local educational agency when it is determined that, based upon current projections, the local educational agency will not meet its financial obligations for fiscal year 2011-12 or 2012-13.

Number

County

Local Educational Agency

Total Budget ($) in millions

1 Imperial Calexico Unified 81.3
2 Los Angeles Inglewood Unified 103.6
3 Monterey South Monterey County Joint Union High 18.5
4 San Luis Obispo Paso Robles Joint Unified 55.0
5 Solano Travis Unified 41.0
6 Solano Vallejo City Unified 135.2

7

Sonoma Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified 45.9
QUALIFIED CERTIFICATION

A qualified certification is assigned to a local educational agency when it is determined that, based upon current projections, the local educational agency may not meet its financial obligations for fiscal year 2011-12, 2012-13, or 2013-14.

Number

County

Local Educational Agency

Total Budget ($) in millions

1 Alameda Emery Unified 11.6
2 Alameda Hayward Unified 189.2
3 Alameda Oakland Unified 420.3
4 Amador Amador County Office of Education 9.0
5 Amador Amador County Unified 28.7
6 Contra Costa John Swett Unified 14.3
7 Contra Costa Mt. Diablo Unified 292.9
8 El Dorado Black Oak Mine Unified 12.6
9 Fresno Orange Center (Elementary) 2.6
10 Humboldt Eureka City Schools (Unified) 35.4
11 Humboldt Loleta Union Elementary 0.9
12 Humboldt Scotia Union Elementary 1.8
13 Humboldt South Bay Union Elementary 4.0
14 Imperial El Centro Elementary 39.7
15 Imperial Imperial Unified 26.4
16 Kern Caliente Union Elementary 0.8
17 Kern El Tejon Unified 8.6
18 Kern Muroc Joint Unified 18.2
19 Kern Panama-Buena Vista Union 125.0
20 Kern Taft City (Elementary) 18.8
21 Kern Tehachapi Unified 35.8
22 Lake Kelseyville Unified 14.7
23 Lake Konocti Unified 28.3
24 Lassen Shaffer Union Elementary 1.8
25 Los Angeles Antelope Valley Union High 227.5
26 Los Angeles Bassett Unified 41.8
27 Los Angeles Compton Unified 248.3
28 Los Angeles Eastside Union Elementary 26.4
29 Los Angeles El Rancho Unified 89.8
30 Los Angeles Hawthorne (Elementary) 70.8
31 Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified 5992.4
32 Los Angeles Montebello Unified 266.3
33 Los Angeles Norwalk-La Mirada Unified 176.6
34 Los Angeles Pomona Unified 256.1
35 Los Angeles Saugus Union (Elementary) 84.2
36 Mariposa Mariposa County Unified 17.7
37 Merced Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified 21.5
38 Mendocino Anderson Unified 6.3
39 Mendocino Laytonville Unified 4.8
40 Mendocino Round Valley Unified 5.7
41 Mendocino Willits Unified 16.2
42 Nevada Nevada City Elementary 7.9
43 Nevada Union Hill Elementary 4.5
44 Orange Anaheim City (Elementary) 163.8
45 Orange Capistrano Unified 381.8
46 Orange Centralia Elementary 35.1
47 Orange Fullerton Elementary 109.8
48 Orange Fullerton Joint Union High 137.2
49 Orange Garden Grove Unified 459.8
50 Orange La Habra City Elementary 42.4
51 Orange Santa Ana Unified 515.8
52 Orange Westminster Elementary 77.0
53 Placer Auburn Union Elementary 14.3
54 Placer Placer Hills Union Elementary 5.7
55 Plumas Plumas Unified 27.7
56 Riverside Alvord Unified 144.4
57 Riverside Banning Unified 37.7
58 Riverside Coachella Valley Unified 174.1
59 Riverside Desert Sands Unified 236.7
60 Riverside Jurupa Unified 162.8
61 Riverside Nuview Union (Elementary) 12.7
62 Riverside Palo Verde Unified 30.1
63 Riverside Perris Union High 81.0
64 Riverside Riverside Unified 341.4
65 Sacramento Center Joint Unified 35.1
66 Sacramento Elk Grove Unified 471.4
67 Sacramento Folsom-Cordova Unified 138.4
68 Sacramento Galt Joint Union High 18.9
69 Sacramento Natomas Unified 67.7
70 Sacramento Sacramento City Unified 415.7
71 Sacramento San Juan Unified 342.7
72 Sacramento Twin Rivers Unified 260.3
73 San Benito Hollister (Elementary) 41.6
74 San Bernardino Bear Valley Unified 21.7
75 San Bernardino Chino Valley Unified 227.9
76 San Bernardino Colton Joint Unified 183.5
77 San Bernardino Mountain View Elementary 17.4
78 San Bernardino Trona Joint Unified 5.4
79 San Bernardino Victor Elementary 72.4
80 San Bernardino Victor Valley Union High 89.6
81 San Bernardino Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified 71.4
82 San Diego Borrego Springs Unified 5.4
83 San Diego Carlsbad Unified 83.1
84 San Diego Fallbrook Union High 27.1
85 San Diego Grossmont Union High 185.5
86 San Diego National Elementary 52.0
87 San Diego Ramona City Unified 53.2
88 San Diego San Marcos Unified 145.7
89 San Luis Obispo Atascadero Unified 38.5
90 San Luis Obispo Lucia Mar Unified 83.4
91 San Luis Obispo San Miguel Joint Union (Elementary) 5.4
92 San Luis Obispo Shandon Joint Unified 3.6
93 Santa Barbara Buellton Union Elementary 3.9
94 Santa Clara Alum Rock Union Elementary 110.3
95 Santa Clara Gilroy Unified 84.6
96 Santa Cruz Pajaro Valley Unified 88.1
97 Santa Cruz Santa Cruz City Elementary 42.6
98 Santa Cruz Santa Cruz City High *
99 Shasta Anderson Union High 16.9
100 Shasta Cascade Union Elementary 12.1
101 Shasta Cottonwood Union Elementary 7.7
102 Shasta Oak Run Elementary 0.4
103 Shasta Pacheco Union Elementary 4.7
104 Solano Dixon Unified 27.5
105 Solano Fairfield-Suisun Unified 156.3
106 Sonoma Geyserville Unified 3.1
107 Sonoma Healdsburg Unified 16.8
108 Sonoma Sebastopol Union Elementary 5.5
109 Sonoma West Sonoma County Union High 21.7
110 Stanislaus Denair Unified 10.1
111 Stanislaus Knights Ferry Elementary 1.2
112 Stanislaus La Grange Elementary 0.3
113 Stanislaus Modesto City Elementary 264.7
114 Stanislaus Modesto City High *
115 Stanislaus Riverbank Unified 24.0
116 Stanislaus Waterford Unified 18.3
117 Tehama Red Bluff Union Elementary 16.0
118 Tulare Hot Springs Elementary 0.5
119 Ventura Oak Park Unified 30.0
120 Yuba Wheatland Union High 6.1

* Santa Cruz City Elementary and Santa Cruz City High School Districts are two districts with joint administration and fiscal reporting. Modesto City Elementary and Modesto City High are two districts with joint administration and fiscal reporting. The amount shown in the column is the combined budget.

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