Volume 9, Issue 1

September 2023

Greetings!

The 2023/24 school year is off to a strong start! Our teachers and staff have been working diligently to plan and deliver instruction tailored to meet individual student needs through data analysis, differentiated learning, and small-group instruction. We encourage all families to participate in upcoming teacher-parent conferences the week of September 25-29 to learn more about your child’s present performance levels and goals for his or her growth in the coming months.

In addition to keeping our families well-informed concerning student achievement, we also want to provide our school community with an update on the state of the district, which includes information on the 2023/24 state budget, district enrollment, student attendance, and how these factors impact district resources. We hope you will take a few minutes to learn more.

Sincerely,

Anne Silavs, Superintendent

State Budget

Despite the state’s estimated $31.5 billion budget shortfall for 2023/24, the Legislature and Governor supported public education this year by fully funding the 8.2% cost-of-living adjustment so that school districts can keep up with rising costs. We’ll have a better sense of the financial picture after the October 16 tax filing deadline. If revenues fall below budget estimates, the state could impose adjustments mid-year or next year.

School Funding

The state provides funding for school districts through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which includes several components. The first component is the Base Grant. All school districts receive the same amount per student based on grade spans. For 2023/24, school districts will receive up to $9,919 for each enrolled student in kindergarten through third grade and up to $10,069 for each student enrolled in grades four through six. On top of the Base Grant, the LCFF includes three other components that provide additional funding. The Grade Span Adjustment helps to offset the costs associated with reduced class sizes in grades K-3. The Supplemental Grant supports low income students, English Learners, and foster youth. School districts with more than 55% of their student population represented in these three groups receive a Concentration Grant on top of the Supplemental Grant. At 49.56%, the Cypress School District does not meet the threshold for receiving Concentration Grant funds.

Student Enrollment 

The number of students enrolled in California schools has been steadily declining for some time, but this trend has accelerated in the past several years. Contributing factors include low birth rates and the high cost of housing. Orange County was down approximately 9,500 students last year. While the level of decline varies from district to district, this is a challenge facing nearly everyone. Since 2017/18, student enrollment in the Cypress School District has decreased by well over 500 students. This has financial implications because fewer students means the district has fewer dollars to run its educational program. While our official student enrollment numbers will not be certified by the state until early October, our present student enrollment is 3,330.

Student Attendance

Research shows that consistent student attendance improves learning and increases achievement. Additionally, it promotes self-esteem, cultivates social skills, and helps to develop positive peer relationships. Student attendance is also important for school funding. In California, school district funding is not based purely on enrollment, but rather on the number of enrolled students who actually attend school. Therefore, there are many important reasons for our students to come to school each day!

District Budget

The district’s current 2023/24 budget is based on all of the factors described above. The pie chart below shows how our resources are allocated for the year. As you can see, the Cypress School District is a people organization. Approximately 78% of the district budget covers employee costs that include salaries, health insurance, and other statutory benefits.

Staying Informed

Given the volatile nature of the state budget, the district has begun publishing Dollars & Sense, a special newsletter sent periodically throughout the year that focuses solely on school district funding and other important budget matters. As a current subscriber, you will receive these automatically. The first edition is available here. We encourage you to review this information to stay informed. If you have any questions concerning district budgetary matters, we welcome you to contact Tim McLellan, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, at tmclellan@cypsd.org.