(SAN RAMON, CA) - In San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education Meeting on June 16, the district's 2026-27 budget was approved, but much of the discussion focused on uncertainty surrounding California's state budget and how future decisions could impact schools.
San Ramon Valley Unified School District Superintendent CJ Cammack warned that ongoing state budget negotiations could still affect school funding.
Photo Credit: Superintendent CJ Cammack, SRVUSD on YouTube
“The two most glaring areas of concern from our perspective in public education is that the Senate and Assembly agreed on a budget package that continues to withhold $3.9 billion from Prop 98,” Cammack said.
According to the California Budget & Policy Center, Proposition 98 was adopted in 1988 and is meant to guarantee an annual amount of funding for K-14 education.
The proposition is key in financially supporting K-12 schools, community colleges, county offices of education, the state preschool program, and state agencies providing K-14 instructional programs.
According to the California Teachers Association (CTA), the funding guarantee for this year is $121.4 billion, and Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget revision proposes to hold onto $3.9 billion from this minimum.
Superintendent CJ Cammack said district officials are also monitoring another proposal that could affect funding.
“Another area of concern is the proposal to add private preschool to the Prop 98 funding source,” Cammack said.
This is a concern because the proposal could increase the number of programs relying on financial support from Prop. 98 funding, which could potentially increase competition for limited money.
“There is some consideration that that re-benchmarks Prop 98,” Cammack said. “But there's also some context that it, in essence, adds a grade level to be funded out of the Prop 98 dollar.”
Cammack emphasized that negotiations between the governor and Legislature are still ongoing and that the final impact on school districts remains unclear.
“We'll have to watch both of those developments very closely,” Cammack said.
Despite the uncertainty at the state level, the Board of Education unanimously approved the district's 2026-27 budget. District officials said they will continue monitoring state budget negotiations and adjust financial projections as more information becomes available.
The Board of Education discussed specific budget information during its previous meeting on June 9.
In the meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Chief Business Officer Daniel Hillman presented a fund summary for the 2025-2026 school year.
Photo Credit: SRVUSD on YouTube
The document above shows the district expected about $474.9 million in revenue during the 2025-26 fiscal year while spending about $491.7 million. The difference resulted in a projected decrease of about $16.8 million in the district's fund balance.
The largest expenditures include employee salaries and benefits, and there is also an increase in spending on books, supplies, services, and capital outlay compared to earlier projections.
The discussion then moved to the actual 2026-2027 adopted budget.
Photo Credit: SRVUSD on YouTube
The adopted budget projects about $467.4 million in total revenue and $465.6 million in expenditures for the 2026-27 fiscal year, resulting in a surplus of about $1.9 million.
The district expects to receive about $369.7 million in unrestricted revenue and $97.7 million in restricted revenue. Restricted funds can only be used for specific uses required by state or federal regulations, while unrestricted funds provide the district with greater flexibility in spending.
Employee salaries and benefits remain the district's most significant costs, totaling more than $400 million. The budget also includes spending on books, supplies, services, facility improvements, and special education programs.
Hillman noted that the district's financial outlook represents a positive shift from recent years.
“We have [a surplus], and we have it for the first time in a couple of years,” Hillman said.
Hillman also highlighted the cost of special education services, saying that the district is expected to give about $54 million from its unrestricted budget to help fund services for students with individualized education programs (IEPS).
The district will prepare a required 45-day revise after the state adopts its final budget, letting officials update financial projections based on changes regarding education funding.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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