The Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education unanimously approved a $18.8 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Among the budget highlights approved on Tuesday were
The Black Student Achievement Plan’s additional $25 million equity investment brought total capital to $175 million. An additional $26 million for accelerated artistic investment. Additional $2 million for protection, awareness and training to support LGBTQ+ students. We have continued our $700 million commitment to the Student Equity Need Index. Increased funding for Student and Family Centres, up to $5 million. Increases cabinet-level pay suspensions and increases certain benefits for senior staff. Preservation of current staffing levels. To fund the Finance and Labor Stabilization Fund, there was a redirection of a general fund contribution of $645 million originally targeting other post-employment benefits trusts.
“The principles and values reflected in this budget keep our commitment to student equity,” said LAUSD principal Alberto Carvalho. “While the structural deficits we face are not welcome, our team has a responsible framework with flexible guardrails that adapt to economic realities. We monitor budgets throughout the year and prepare for future challenges while maintaining transparency.”
Board Chairman Scott Schmerelson said the budget was “the most clear expression of our values and our commitment to protecting our most sacred space: our schools. I voted to support this budget because, although incomplete, the best thing we can do during these extremely difficult times.”
Activists from the LAUSD Coalition without police welcomed the equity program and additional funding for black and LGBTQ students.
“It’s really powerful to see this happen today. It’s all a huge victory for Black, immigrant, queer students and our families. We know that our community is safe, affirmed and unsupported.
“LAUSD is actually acting on our demands. We are to continue to hold the responsibility in the district to follow the district with $50 million to expand our BSAP, $5 million to fund the centre of dreams for students that are ultimately undocumented, $2 million to support and support LGBTQ+ students.” ”
The budget includes approximately $6.5 billion of unlimited general fund money, $5 billion of limited general funds, $33.5 billion of capital project funds, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, liability insurance and other post-employment benefits, and $1.2 billion of debt services funds.
LAUSD is expected to receive revenues of $15.9 billion next year. The district is using billions of one-off federal coronavirus funds to manage the deficit.
The district predicts that between 2025 and 26, 6,491 students will fall from 402,561 in 2024-25 to 396,070.
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