Lynwood Board of Education Passes 2013-14 Budget

The following is an official announcement from the Lynwood Unified School District:

While the District continues to grapple with declining enrollment, the Lynwood Unified Board of Education on June 26 passed a balanced $95.5 million general fund budget without cutting any District programs or services for the 2013-14 school year.

The budget represents the first time in six years that the state is increasing funding to school districts, while giving them more local control under its new funding model – the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). However, Lynwood Unified is awaiting further details as to how exactly the new funding formula will work.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions with the overhaul of this funding system, but we do know that we will likely receive some supplemental funding to better serve our students categorized as English learners and students from low-income families,” said LUSD Chief Business Official Peter Wong.

Despite facing deep budget cuts from the state since 2008-09, the Lynwood Unified School District in recent years has made much progress in restoring its financial health. This year, the District is projected to have a $10.4 million fund balance as part of its reserves for economic uncertainties.

“Although we have made the tough decisions required to reach fiscal solvency, we still have considerable challenges ahead,” Board of Education President Maria G. Lopez said. “We must remain diligent in order to reach our financial goals.”

Declining enrollment continues to be Lynwood Unified’s biggest challenge. Since 2008-09, the District’s enrollment has dipped by more than 1,800 students resulting in loss of nearly $10 million in revenue over the last six years.

“Our Academic Index (API) scores and graduation rates are higher than ever and we’re offering high-quality instructional programs,” said Superintendent Paul Gothold. “It’s our hope that our progress in student achievement and educational offerings, paired with a recovering economy will attract more families to our Lynwood community.”