Coronado School officials, already facing a projected $700,000 deficit by the 2026-27 school year, said schools opened this year with enrollment falling short of a projected goal.
In a June budget meeting, Salamanca said most of the district’s funding is reliant on student enrollment, attendance and demographics. Enrollment trends, inter-district transfer applications and attendance yields from previous years left CUSD with decreased revenues and an urgent need for budgeting adjustments.
This school year, school officials opened up online registration and inter-district transfer windows early in hopes of amassing more applications and getting a better understanding of student enrollment.
The district typically accepts about 150 inter-district transfers in a given year. This year, there were close to 250. Still, enrollment currently sits at 2,770 students, just below the goal of 2,800.
The proposed 2024-25 budget is yet to be approved. The district awaits a financial analysis and recommendations from the County Office of Education in September. Despite not meeting enrollment expectations, Salamanca said he expects the budget to be approved with conditions for a Dec. 1 interim report.
In the meantine, CUSD has made cutbacks in staffing that resulted in significant leadership changes for the new school year, with new administrators assigned to the middle school, high school and an elementary school.
In other news:
- Superintendent Karl Mueller announced a facilities upgrade to Village Elementary School as part of an audit of safety systems. Over the summer, CUSD installed a two-door authorization system for entrance into the main campus. The new safety protocol will serve as a model as district officials consider facility upgrades at other schools.
- This year, CUSD will commence its Facilities Master Plan, which according to Mueller, will work toward upgrading facilities with budgeting in mind. The district will focus on improving areas such as safety and instructional programming. Discussions will take place in a Facilities Master Plan group.
The next regular board meeting is set for Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. at the district office.
