AUSD Board Approves 2023-24 Unaudited Actuals Financial Report

At its September 10 meeting, the Alameda Unified School District ( AUSD ) Board of Education approved the Unaudited Actuals Financial Report for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and received a program update from the Alameda Education Foundation ( AEF ).

2023-2024 Unaudited Actuals Financial Report

AUSD completes a financial review at the end of each fiscal year and produces a financial report to be submitted to the Alameda County Office of Education by mid-September and reviewed by an independent auditor by early 2025.

As part of an overview presented to the Board, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Shariq Khan highlighted the revenues and expenditures from the District’s General Fund. In 2023-2024, the General Fund revenue totaled about $164 million and is divided into three key portions:

• $108 million in Unrestricted General Fund revenues, which may be used for any educational purpose and is based on daily attendance.
• $32 million in Restricted General Fund revenues, which are intended for specific programs (Special Education, Title I, etc.) and can include revenue from one-time sources.
• $24 million in Parcel Taxes.

The District had about $159 million in expenditures in varying proportions for salaries and benefits, supplies, services, and capital outlay, depending on revenue sources and stipulations. This resulted in a net income of about $5 million, bringing the total Ending Balance to about $51 million. Of this amount, half is assigned or restricted funds, which results in an Unassigned Ending Fund Balance of about $25.8 million.

One of the first speakers of the night, Nancy Read, Alameda Education Association ( AEA ) Co-President, remarked on the balance, noting that “three years ago, it was projected to be $26,000,” not $25.8 million.

In response, Khan clarified that the District’s Multiyear Projections (MYP) process is not meant to be a forecast or full budget planning process, but rather a mathematical model that offers an initial outlook on how the District’s current budgeting plan may perform over the following three years. The MYP is a “living document” based on assumptions for factors that include projected enrollment, birth rates, and economic conditions, which can be prone to variation.

“The idea of the MYP is not to present the best possible picture to the Board,” explained Khan. “The idea of the MYP is financial planning—what things can go wrong, and if they do go wrong, will the District be able to absorb those or not?”

This a preview of the first budget interim update for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which will go to the Board for discussion in December.

Alameda Education Foundation update

Earlier in the meeting, AEF Executive Director Vicki Sedlack delivered an update highlighting the nonprofit’s work in the areas of equity-centered support, social-emotional support, and enrichment, art, and sports programming for Alameda’s students.

During the 2023-2024 school year, AEF deployed $135,000 to support need-based grants for teachers to provide students with items or activities not covered by the school budget, technology and mental health support through Care Solace for students, and production of Descendants – The Story of Us . AEF also organized over 200 after-school classes, week-long summer camps, middle school sports, and arts programs.

“We, as a District, wouldn’t be as successful as we are, and reach as many kids as we reach, without the incredible partnership we have with you,” commended Board President Jennifer Williams.

AEF is holding its Back2School BBQ event on Thursday, September 19, as a fundraiser to support its goals for this school year , which include increasing grant funding for teachers, enrollment in enrichment classes, and the number of students benefiting from sports programming.

Other notable items

During the meeting:

• Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi provided a brief update on AUSD’s Strategic Plan , revealing that the District is pursuing a next-level strategy to shift from an “isolated impact” to a “collective impact” by integrating and coordinating projects and efforts to support students.
• The Board approved a resolution adopting the 2023-2024 Gann Limit, which establishes a maximum appropriations limit for the District.
• Eugene Kruger and Tabitha Kim were sworn in as the Student Board Members from Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School and Alameda High School , respectively. They join Lianna Lau, who is returning as Student Board Member from the Alameda Science and Technology Institute ( ASTI ).

Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post . Contact him via ken@alamedapost.com . His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der .

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