Five challenges will impact financial health for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

 Five challenges that will impact the future financial health of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District were outlined in a report presented to the district's trustees at a March meeting.

Trustees also were told of a projected $11.4 million deficit in the district's unrestricted general fund that is estimated to jump to $14.5 million for the next school year but then drop to nearly $9 million for 2026-27.

The five challenges include a projected low cost-of-living allowance from the state for the next three years; a loss of one-time revenue, including pandemic-related funding; and rising health and welfare benefit premiums for employees.

Other challenges: annual step and column adjustments for employees based on years of service and, for teachers, degrees and credits and the state's “vulnerability to the impacts of uncertain receipt of federal funding, tariffs and changes in immigration policy.”

The list of challenges are part of a state-mandated second interim report due to the county superintendent of schools this month. And despite the deficit projection, officials could certify the district “will meet its financial obligations for the current and two subsequent fiscal years.”

The report for the district-affiliated Orange County School of Computer Science charter on the Bernardo Yorba Middle School campus noted a deficit of about $1.4 million for the school year.

According to the report, the district “will be preparing a budget stabilization plan for board review prior to the adoption of the 2025-26 school year budget,” with reductions that “may include tighter staffing at school sites, position reductions and non-personnel cost reductions.”

A couple of interesting portions of the report deal with enrollment projections. The first interim report, which was due in December, pegged enrollment on the district's 34 campuses at 22,726, with the second interim report noting enrollment at 22,700, a 26-student decline.

The second interim report projects further enrollment drops of 70 students in each of the next two years, down to 22,630 in the 2025-26 school year and 22,560 in the 2026-27 school year.

Of course, much of the state's funding is based on average daily attendance, which is noted at 21,877 this year, dropping 25 students to 21,565 next year and 66 more students to 21,499 for the year after.

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Trustees named Allan Mucerino, a former Alvord and Duarte schools superintendent, acting superintendent Feb. 19 on a 3-1 vote (Marilyn Anderson, Carrie Buck and Tricia Quintero in favor; Leandra Blades opposed) replacing Renee Gray, who returned to her prior post as assistant superintendent of student support services.

Gray had been named acting superintendent Jan. 14 on a 3-2 vote (Blades, Todd Frazier and Quintero in favor; Anderson and Buck opposed). Beth Fisher resigned as principal of Orange County School of Computer Science effective Feb. 24.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees view mid-year update on student achievement

 A mid-year update on student achievement in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District was presented to the board of trustees at the district's regular February meeting.

The update to the state-mandated Local Control and Accountability Plan lists recent results for a three-year program that outlines “goals, actions, services and expenditures” designed “to support positive student outcomes that address state and local priorities.”

Among the goals of the three-year plan are to provide “innovative, rigorous and relevant educational experiences for all students” and to provide “necessary resources, skills andopportunities for all students to meet or exceed grade-level expectations.”

Other goals include closing academic achievement gaps for English learner, socioeconomically disadvantaged and foster youth students and address academic achievement, engagement and school climate for specific student groups and sites.

In English-Language Arts, 65.32% of all students met or exceeded standards at the end of the last school year, an increase of 0.57% from the prior year toward a goal of 70.8% in 2026.

English learners declined by 0.35% to 11.35%, socioeconomically disadvantaged increased by 3.26% to 52.16% and foster youth increased by 8% to 28%, making progress toward goals of 22%, 59% and 30%, respectively.

Administrators noted the district “invested significant funding toward a comprehensive writing program, including professional development provided on 'writer's workshop' at the elementary and middle school levels (and) expository reading and writing at the high school levels.”

And, they said, “Step Up to Writing” is used across all grade levels and academic support teachers continue to work closely with elementary students in need of additional assistance.

In mathematics, 55.95% of all students met or exceeded standards at the end of the last school year, an increase of 2.47% from the prior year toward the goal of 59.95% in 2026.

English learners increased by 0.9% to 11.5%, socioeconomically disadvantaged by 6.4% to 40% and foster youth by 2.3% to 15.6%, making progress toward goals of 21%, 44% and 24%, respectively.

Administrators said, “We continue to invest significant funding toward after-school math intervention in addition to language arts intervention, with the goal of ensuring all students are meeting or exceeding grade level standards.”

Other current data: 95.4% graduation rate toward a 95.8% goal, 1.7% dropout rate toward a less than 1.3% goal, 88.4% Advanced Placement pass rate toward an 88% goal and a 59.3% A through G university entrance requirement rate toward a 69.5% goal.

Orange County School of Computer Science charter data on meeting or exceeding standards: English-Language Arts at 58.51% toward a 62% goal and math at 49.62% toward a 55% goal. 

Suspension rate is 2% toward a less than 2% goal; chronic absenteeism rate is 13.7% toward a less than 10% goal.