GO Board Watch: December 12, 2017
Welcome to GO’s School Board Watch for the meeting taking place Wednesday, December 13, 2017.
This week’s agenda includes the following key items:
- First Interim Budget and Budget Adjustments
- FCMAT Implementation
- Blueprint for Quality Schools
Budget and Finance
Resolution Confirming District’s Commitment to Fiscal Solvency
A subject of much controversy, a prior version of this resolution directed the Superintendent to make $15.1 million in mid-year adjustments to help address some serious financial issues. This amended version – based on updated budget numbers – calls for reducing that number to $9.0 million, and calls for a number of approaches to the coming year, such as zero-based budgeting, reconfiguring central office, and re-examining site funding formulas. GO has written about the budget issues extensively over the past year. Check out our Budget Matters Blog for more information.
1st Interim Budget and Budget Adjustments
The Board will hear an update on the 2017-18 budget as of October 31, 2017. The District is currently projected to fall $1.1 million short of the state-mandated 2% financial reserve. Revenues are projected to match or exceed expenses, however, historical fluctuations in spending demonstrate that OUSD is still at risk of not being able to pay its bills.
Supt. Johnson-Trammell will present recommendations for a 2018-2020 Fiscal Vitality Plan in response to the 2017 FCMAT Fiscal Health Risk Analysis. The recommendations focus on restoring the financial reserve through mid-year adjustments, improving internal controls, and adopting zero-based budgeting practices to avoid deficit spending in 2018-19. For more resources, go to OUSD’s Fiscal Transparency website.
Facilities
Supt. Johnson-Trammell will present the findings of the Blueprint for Quality Schools and a timeline for next steps. The Present Facilities Assessment found that more than $2 billion in repairs will be needed in the near-term for OUSD’s aging buildings. This coming Spring, the Board will vote whether to put a capital bond on the ballot in November.