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Funding for Davis Schools

Why does the district have an ongoing funding crisis?

Revenue/Expenditure Comparison
Notes: For their own accounting purposes, the state apportioned funds to districts at the end of 2008-09 that they immediately cut from 2009-10. Additionally, federal stimulus funds were received late in 2008-09, to be spent in 2009-10. This explains the apparent surplus of revenue in 2008-09.

Measures Q and W sunset in June 2012. Measure A sunsets in June 2013. The district cannot assume revenue beyond the term of the tax.

The district receives money for students from the state and federal governments and from local sources. Since 2007-08, the state of California has decreased funding to the Davis Joint Unified School District by more than $1,100 per student annually. That is a 15% drop in revenue.

The district has tried to replace that money with local taxes, community donations and federal stimulus dollars. In addition, the district reduced expenditures by increasing class sizes and reducing services.

How do we pay for California schools?

How much money does the district receive?

How much have parcel taxes, fundraising and federal stimulus funds helped?

How much money does the district spend?

If the district regularly spends more money on ongoing expenses than it receives, the budget has a structural deficit. If deficit spending continues, the district may not be able to pay all its bills in the future.

If the Board does not act to keep the district financially secure, the state can assume control of the district and make the necessary reductions.

FAQ: Would you like to know the answers to frequently asked questions about the budget?

What is the Board’s role in balancing the budget?

What are the state’s and the county's roles in the district’s budget process? (PDF, 13.8MB)

Would you like to see the district’s full budget documentation?

Would you like to see DJUSD enrollment over time?

How much money does the district receive?

Federal Funding Local Funding Other State Funding State Per-Student Funding

Move your mouse pointer over areas of the chart to see detailed descriptions of each item.

DJUSD expects to receive $67,461,949 in general operating revenue for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Projected DJUSD Revenues for 2011-12 (As of June 2011)

 $ Amount% of TotalFund Description
General Fund  This is the chief operating fund, accounting for the ordinary operations of the school district. All transactions except those required or permitted by law to be in another fund are accounted for in this fund.  
State Per Student Funding$40,924,94555.0%Allocated to the school district based upon the number of students and the amount of time each spends in school
Other State Revenue$7,937,75010.7%Allocated to the district to provide special services for students.  The state has given school districts temporary flexibility to reallocate some of these previously restricted funds for general operating expenses.  State lottery funds are included in this category.
Local Revenue$14,650,77919.7%Education funding from the community through voter approved parcel taxes, donations and miscellaneous sources.
Federal Revenue$3,948,4755.3%Allocated to districts to provide special services for students but in 2008-09 and 2009-10, this category also includes federal stimulus funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Subtotal General Fund$67,461,94990.6% 
Other Funds   
Charter Schools$3,203,5844.3%Accounts for the activities of the DaVinci Charter Academy not reported in the General Fund
Adult Education$426,5000.6%Accounts for federal, state, and local revenues for adult education programs
Child Development$307,0000.4%Accounts for federal, state, and local revenues to operate child development programs
Cafeteria$1,493,6982.0%Accounts for federal, state, and local resources to operate the food service program
Deferred Maintenance$5,0000.0%Accounts for state apportionments and the school district's contributions for maintenance including: major repair or replacement of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical, roofing, and floor systems; exterior and interior painting of school buildings
Capital Facilities$370,2000.5%Accounts for fees levied on developers as a condition of approving a development
Building Funds$10,5000.0%Accounts primarily for proceeds from the sale of bonds and may not be used for purposes other than those for which the bonds were issued.
Self Insurance$1,186,5121.6%Accounts separately for moneys received for self-insurance activities such as health and welfare, and deductible property loss.
Foundation Trust Fund$5,8500.0%Accounts for local donation funded student scholarships
Total All Funds$74,470,793100% 

Would you like to see the complete DJUSD 2011-12 Adopted Budget Report

How does district revenue change by year?

Note: The district’s parcel taxes, Measures Q and W, sunset in June 2012. Measure A sunsets in June 2013. For that reason, the district cannot assume parcel tax revenue in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Special Programs Special Programs Special Programs Special Programs Special Programs Special Programs Other Local Revenue Other Local Revenue Other Local Revenue Other Local Revenue Other Local Revenue Other Local Revenue Donations / Grants Donations / Grants Donations / Grants Measure A Measure A Measure A Measure W Measure W Measure W Measure W Measure Q Measure Q Measure Q Measure Q Categorical Funding Categorical Funding Categorical Funding Categorical Funding Categorical Funding Categorical Funding Charter Per Student Charter Per Student Charter Per Student Charter Per Student Charter Per Student Charter Per Student Per Student Funding Per Student Funding Per Student Funding Per Student Funding Per Student Funding Per Student Funding

Move your mouse pointer over areas of the chart to see detailed descriptions of each item.

District General Fund and Charter School Revenue (as of June 2011)

 2009-102010-112011-12 (Projected)2012-13 (Projected)2013-14 (Projected)Descriptions
State Revenue     Funding provided by the state of California
Per Student Funding$39,120,103$41,148,519$40,924,945$42,097,761$43,058,442Ongoing money allocated to the school district based upon the number of students and the amount of time each spends in school.  The district receives the same amount of per pupil funding for students, whether they are attending the general education program or a magnet (e.g. GATE, Spanish Immersion, Montessori) program.  
Charter School Per Student Funding$2,619,969$2,462,186$2,747,385$2,826,119$2,890,612Ongoing money allocated to DaVinci Academy based upon the number of students and the amount of time each spends in school.  
Special Education$4,459,305$4,669,541$4,232,972$4,232,972$4,232,972Ongoing funds to provide services to students with special needs.  These are state funds passed through to the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) and on to the district.
Categorical Funding$7,614,641$8,478,423$7,937,750$8,191,758$8,371,976Ongoing money allocated to the district to provide special programs for students.  The state has granted temporary flexibility to reallocate previously restricted funds for general operating expenses
Charter School Categorical Funding$266,031$289,250$321,204$331,483$338,775Ongoing money allocated to theDaVinci Charter School to provide special programs for students.
Local Revenue     Funding coming from sources within Davis
Measure N     Local parcel tax approved by voters in November 1999 to supplement the programs and services that could be offered with state funding.  This tax expired on June 30, 2008 and was replaced by Measure Q
Measure Q$4,063,550$4,142,746$4,128,600  Local parcel tax ($200/parcel) that replaced Measure N and supplements school funding from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2012.
Measure W$2,364,452$2,406,550$2,406,550  Local parcel tax ($120/parcel) intended to backfill state funding reductions from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2012.
Measure A  $3,200,000$3,200,000 Local parcel tax ($200/parcel) intended to backfill state funding reductions from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013.
Donations and Grants$1,446,356$2,838,361$280,437$280,437$280,437One-time community contributions including a $1.5 million grant from the Davis Schools Foundation in 2008-09
Other Local Revenue$5,220,508$5,114,581$4,635,192$4,654,342$4,654,342Miscellaneous revenue from local sources
Charter School Donations and Grants$56,208$64,944$47,551$47,000$47,000Donations and miscellaneous local funds for DaVinci Academy
Federal Revenue     Funding provided by the United States government
Special Programs$4,947,968$3,058,065$3,948,475$2,548,475$2,548,475Ongoing restricted money allocated to districts to provide specifed services for students including special education programs
Federal Stimulus Funds$259,255$131,430$0$0$0One-time money received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Charter School Special Programs$387,500$62,500$87,444$0$0Ongoing restricted money allocated to DaVinci Charter to provide specifed services for students including special education programs
Totals      
Total Funded Revenue$72,825,846$74,867,096$74,898,505$68,410,346$66,423,031 
General Fund$69,496,138$71,988,216$71,694,921$65,205,745$63,146,644 
Charter School Fund$3,329,708$2,878,880$3,203,584$3,204,601$3,276,387 
Breakdowns      
Number of Students (adjusted for average daily nce)8,1488,1788,1278,1048,074Includes students attending DaVinci Academy.
Per Pupil Funding$8,937$9,155$9,216$8,441$8,227 

Unfunded State Obligations

 2009-102010-11 (Projected)2011-12 (Projected)2012-13 (Projected)2013-14 (Projected)Descriptions
State Revenue     Funding provided by the state of California
COLA (Unfunded)$4,159,751$3,927,513$4,882,902$5,024,393$5,140,351Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): In good economic years, the state provides an increase in prior year funding so that districts can meet routine cost increases. In poor economic years, COLA is reduced or unfunded.
Deficit$7,132,830$5,008,351$5,075,330$5,222,547$5,343,078Funding owed to the district by the state, but not paid

How much money does the district spend?

General Fund Expenditures Plant Services General Administration Pupil Services Instruction Related Services Classroom Instruction
Move your mouse pointer over areas of the chart to see detailed descriptions of each item.

DJUSD expects to spend $65,446,855 for general operations in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Projected DJUSD Expenditures for 2011-12 by Function (As of June, 2011)

 $ Amount% of Total“% of General Fund”Fund Description
General Fund   This is the chief operating fund, accounting for the ordinary operations of the school district. All transactions except those required or permitted by law to be in another fund are accounted for in this fund.  
Classroom Instruction$43,667,11556.3%62.8%Teachers, para-educators, instructional supplies and services
Instruction-related Services$7,062,0319.1%10.2%Supervision of instruction/assessment, library services, teacher staff development, and summer school
Pupil Services$4,766,7586.1%6.9%Counseling and college planning; psychology and individual learning assessments; nurses for screening and health education; school climate; student behavior, attendance, suspensions and expulsions; complaints and investigations; safety and emergency preparedness; grief and crisis counseling
General Administration$4,593,3825.9%6.6%Education oversight, human resources, budget and payroll, student attendance reporting; legal services and elections; technology and community relations
Plant Services$6,428,0318.3%9.3%Utilities; custodial; landscape, irrigation, and field maintenance; campus safety and security; telecommunications
Ancillary Services & Community$660,5150.9%1.0%Miscellaneous services
Other Outgo$2,301,9513.0%3.3%Miscellaneous services
Subtotal General Fund$69,479,78389.5%100.0% 
Other Funds    
Charter Schools$3,280,0384.2% DaVinci Charter Academy expenses
Adult Education$418,2750.5% Adult education program expenses
Child Development$372,0000.5% Expenses for operating child development programs
Cafeteria$1,624,3762.1% Expenses for operating the food service program
Deferred Maintenance$100,0000.1% Expenses for major repair or replacement of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical, roofing, and floor systems; exterior and interior painting of school buildings
Capital Facilities$4,0000.0% Expensed funds from fees levied on developers or other agencies as a condition of approving a development
Building Funds$1,129,8981.5% Expensed funds from proceeds of the sale of bonds and may not be used for any purposes other than those for which the bonds were issued.
Self Insurance$1,176,6631.5% Expenses for self-insurance activities such as , health and welfare, and deductible property loss.
Foundation Trust Fund$8,0000.0% Expended funds for local donation funded student scholarships
Total All Funds$77,593,033100.0%  

Would you like to see the DJUSD 2011-12 Adopted Budget?

Note: This video is a client production for the organization YouthNoise, which aims to encourage youths to get involved and make a difference.

How do we pay for California Schools?

About 85% of the money for California schools comes from the state. The rest comes from the federal government and local sources.

Our state amount is based on the number of students in the district and how much time each student spends in school. It also depends on Proposition 98.

What is Proposition 98?

California voters passed Proposition 98 in 1988 and again in 1990 to guarantee a minimum level of funding for K-14 public education. This level depends on the state’s economy. When the economy does well, schools get more money. In poor economic years, schools get less.

How have recent state budgets affected Davis public schools?

Recent state budget decisions have caused the state to:

  • Reduce the amount of money they send to schools. Since 2007-08 K-12 school districts have 15% less to spend to educate students.
  • Defer Proposition 98 payments. Districts will spend the money this year, but they will not get it from the state until next year. That means school districts must watch their cashflow very carefully.
  • Give districts more flexibility to:
    • use some restricted funds for general purposes,
    • lower reserve levels and
    • increase class size with less penalty

What about Federal Stimulus Funding?

California got about $6 billion in extra federal dollars for schools during 2008-09 and 2009-10. DJUSD received $4.5 million of that and it helped temporarily keep programs and jobs that would have been cut. DJUSD will receive another $1.5 million in federal education jobs funding in 2010-11.

Would you like to learn more about California school finance?

What are the district's options
for closing a budget gap?

There are two ways to close a budget gap: reduce costs or increase revenue. Each has various options, with advantages and disadvantages for the district that must be weighed carefully.

How can the district reduce costs?

Cut educational programs

In favorChallenges
  • Board of Education has the legal authority to act unilaterally
  • Loss of educational services for students
  • Increases class sizes
  • Reduces the number of educators and staff supporting students
  • Employee lay-offs; lack of collaborative process

Reduce employee compensation

In favorChallenges
  • Protects services and programs for students
  • Reduces employee lay-offs
  • Collective bargaining process requires time for Board and employee groups to reach consensus
  • Failure of collective bargaining process could result in poor management-labor relations and possible work action.
  • If linked to shorter school year, reduces educational services
  • Loss of morale
  • Decreases the district’s ability to attract and retain high quality employees

Close schools or other facilities

In favorChallenges
  • Savings (approximately $350,000 for an elementary school and $450,000 for a junior high) can be used to retain educational services
  • Fewer classrooms needed with larger class sizes (greatest impact at the elementary level)
  • Increases student populations on remaining campuses
  • Reduces the number of educators and staff supporting students
  • Administrative and support staff lay-offs
  • Determination of which school to close divides the community and creates mistrust
  • School closure is not easily reversed
  • Flexibility to increase class sizes is temporary; classrooms will be needed again if district returns to lower class sizes

How can the district increase revenue?

Accept community donations

In favorChallenges
  • Temporarily retains programs for students and jobs for employees
  • Community has supported fundraising campaigns
  • Not a stable, ongoing source of funding
  • Requires intensive community effort

Give voters the opportunity to approve new taxes

In favorChallenges
  • Ongoing, predictable funding source for programs and jobs
  • Community has supported school parcel taxes
  • Difficult economy
  • Tax burden
  • Requires approval of two-thirds of Davis voters
  • Cost of election must be paid by district

Sell property owned by the district

In favorChallenges
  • Temporarily retains programs for students and jobs for employees
  • Property must be surplus and not needed for future schools
  • Not a stable, ongoing source of funding
  • Property market is down
  • District must agree to forego some state facility funds
  • District has unmet facility needs and insufficient funding

What if the district spends reserve funds?

In favorChallenges
  • Delays cuts, temporarily retains programs for students and jobs for employees
  • State has temporarily lowered the mandated reserve level
  • With state deferring funding to districts, sufficient reserves are needed to have enough cash for payroll
  • Reserves are no longer available to protect against mid-year cuts
  • Insufficient cash reserves may lower the district’s credit rating making it difficult or expensive to obtain regular cashflow loans
  • Deeper cuts must be made later to bring expenses in line with revenue
  • State mandated reserves must eventually be restored
  • May put the district at risk if unanticipated costs arise
DJUSD Logo
Davis Joint Unified School District
Winfred Roberson · Superintendent
526 B Street · Davis, CA 95616 · 530-757-5300 · www.djusd.net
District Dollars is a collaborative project of the Davis Joint Unified School District and community volunteers.
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Thanks to Richard Reed for the photographs of Davis school artwork.

Thank you to the Davis Community Network for their support of this project, and the Stuart Foundation for their supporting grant.

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