DJUSD Budget Update
Posted on 02/11/2025
superintendent bestLast spring, we reduced more than $5 million in expenditures from our budget (for the 2024-25 school year) but unfortunately need to reduce another $1.5-2 million this spring (for the 2025-26 school year). We have identified close to $1.2 million that can be reduced from the budget by tightening our belts, making non-personnel reductions and cuts and shifting some spending to restricted funds. This is always our first priority for reductions, as it does not impact current employee positions. We expect to achieve most of the remaining budget savings through natural staff reductions from resignations and retirements. These reductions are largely due to declining enrollment throughout the District.

Making budget reductions is perhaps the hardest thing our governance team has to do as every employee and service in our District plays a critical role in the success of our students. The Board and I are committed to keeping a balance among our Triangle of Budgeting Principles:

1) Maintain fiscal solvency by keeping our expenditures within our means, 2) Maintain our educational programs and 3) Continue to improve employee compensation.

The Board intends to make a decision regarding personnel reductions for the 2025-26 school year at the Board of Education meeting on February 20, 2025. Reducing staff is a last resort, but in tough financial times, it’s hard to avoid since salaries, wages and benefits make up 85% of our budget. However, we expect that most of the employees affected by these decisions will be able to transition into other roles within DJUSD that match their qualifications, thanks to anticipated retirements and resignations.

Over the last few months the Board has received updates and analyses of the many factors driving our declining enrollment as well as our District projections for the decade to come. In the next few months, we will provide more information to our DJUSD community about how new housing decisions are tied to school enrollment, and the implications enrollment and housing will have on our District budget.

I want to reassure you that while these budget cuts will have an impact, they won’t stop us from doing the important work we do, and I will continue to keep our community informed as we move forward. Thank you for your continued support as we navigate these challenges.