Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Budget Procedures and Structure
| See the chart below for budget cycle overview!
Los Angeles Unified School District's |
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| The Budget Cycle is available in Adobe Systems' Acrobat Portable Document Format. |
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| Overview
The first step in preparing the District budget is to determine the cost of continuing programs, services, and staffing patterns. Estimates of income for the coming fiscal year are compared to the cost of continuing current programs. Ending balances from the prior year are also utilized in developing the new fiscal year's budget. If necessary, public budget review sessions are held prior to and/or following adoption of the Superintendent's Provisional Budget to determine further changes to be incorporated in the Superintendent's Final Budget. The Superintendent's Final Budget is generally presented to the Board of Education and the public late in August. At a subsequent meeting conducted on or prior to September 8, a mandatory public hearing is held and the Superintendent's Final Budget is presented to the Board for adoption.
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| Costs to Continue Current Programs
Development of the expenditure budget for each fiscal year begins with the Superintendent's statement of goals for the budget year. Costs not directly controllable by the District, such as utilities, retirement contributions, insurance, continuing contractual obligations, and legal costs are adjusted to reflect estimated expenditures for the fiscal year. Position authority for classroom teachers and other enrollment-based resources is adjusted for projected enrollment changes. A Preliminary Budget, submitted to the Board during March or April, provides projections of resources for the fiscal year, as well as estimates of ongoing program costs. Unlike the Provisional and Final Budgets, the Preliminary Budget is not filed with the County Office of Education, and need not be balanced. It forms the basis for discussions of possible budget revisions to be undertaken during the budget planning process. Beginning with the 2004-05 fiscal year, the Preliminary Budget was published not in summary form but as a complete budget edition, in order to facilitate the Board's discussion of possible budget revisions. Estimate of Available Resources In preparing estimates of income, staff reviews all statutory provisions affecting school district revenue formulas and funding provisions of proposed Federal and State budgets. Estimated balances from the current fiscal year are provided by the first, second, and, if required, third period interim financial reports. Possible Changes to Current Programs After discussion with representatives of schools and central offices and with employee and parent advisory groups, a listing of possible budget changes is presented to the Superintendent for review. At the conclusion of this process, the Committee of the Whole directs staff regarding changes to be incorporated in the Provisional Budget. Changes Between the Final Budget and the Adjusted Final Budget The Provisional Budget provides spending authority to continue the services and activities of the District during July and August. However, the State Budget Act, generally signed by the Governor in June or July, can materially affect income estimates. The District's actual June 30 balances are not known until August, when the District's financial records are closed for the preceding fiscal year. The Committee of the Whole may conduct additional budget hearings during July and/or August. Public Hearing on the Superintendent's Final Budget The proposed budget must be made available for public inspection prior to a Public Hearing (Education Code Section 42103). The Board must file its adjusted budget with the County Office of Education on or before September 8, or on the following Monday if September 8 does not fall on a weekday. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, public discussion of budget options are held, so that any individual might address the Board regarding budget concerns. In order to disseminate financial information to the widest possible public, the District's television station broadcasts the Board's budget deliberations throughout the District. |
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