Discrepancies found in annual school enrollment figures reported to the State. The CA Lottery disbursements are based according to school enrollment figures provided by local school districts. The reporting is mandated by the California Department of Education. 2 Urban Girls contacted local school districts, Compton (CUSD) and Inglewood Unified (IUSD), and found there has been some misrepresentation. Figures audited by 2UG were for the 2013-14 school year.
Inglewood Unified
Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) has made numerous claims that enrollment is on a steady decline, which is why they must lay off staff. A public records request, on enrollment numbers for the 2013-14 school year, are a stark contrast to what the state provided CA Lottery funds, based on enrollment (ADA).
Related article: Declining enrollment hampers Inglewood schools’ recovery
A significant reason for the district’s fiscal problems is money derived from the state for average daily attendance, or ADA, which is based on enrollment and student attendance. Enrollment throughout the district has declined 16,320 in 2005 to 11,300 at 2012-13
Contacted for their enrollment numbers for school year 2013-14. District spokesperson Kristin Agostoni provided a figure of 11,701 students, which included dependent charters, City Honors and La Tijera. This figure is nearly 2,000 less than the numbers reported to the CA Dept. of Education for reimbursement.
CA Lottery sent disbursements totaling over $2.2 million for 2013-14 student enrollment of 13,821. In fact, based on the State Controller’s Office Lottery Educational Apportionment System, IUSD lost 103 students between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Enrollment went from 13,924 in 2012-13 to 13,821 in 2013-14. Figures for 2014-15 have yet to be released.
When asked how IUSD allocated CA Lottery funds, the district provided documents showing it is being used to pay for salary and benefits.
[gview file=”https://2urbangirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IUSD-2013-14.pdf”]
Compton Unified
CA Lottery sent Compton Unified disbursements totaling over $3.4 million for student enrollment of 26,708, although the documents provided to 2UG show enrollment of 24,529. Based on the State Controller’s Office Lottery Educational Apportionment System, CUSD lost 57 students between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Reported enrollment went from 26,765 in 2012-13 to 26,708 in 2013-14. Figures for 2014-15 have yet to be released.
Compton Unified School District’s Superintendent Darin Brawley, provided a very comprehensive answer to enrollment figures along with how CUSD allocates CA Lottery funds.
Attached you will find two documents with the information that has been requested. The documents are part of the Districts mandated financial reporting to the State. The document labeled Enrollment 13-14 is taken from the 2014-2015 District adopted budget. It lists the District’s enrollment for the past couple of years including the 2013-214.
The second document is taken from the Districts 2014-2015 Unaudited Actuals report. The document lists the amount of Lottery funds received, both restricted and unrestricted. As a reminder, unrestricted Lottery funds are used to pay for the utility bills in the District. The restricted Lottery funds can only be used for the purchase of instructional materials per Education Code 60010. The District utilizes the restricted Lottery funds to purchase curriculum materials such as core subject student textbooks, teacher editions, new curriculum adoption and replacement textbooks.
[gview file=”https://2urbangirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Enrollment-13-14.pdf”]
[gview file=”https://2urbangirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/14-15-Lottery-Revenue-and-Expenditures-1.pdf”]
4 Comments
It seems as if Inglewood and Compton residents are out of the loop on a lot of these issues. If school districts are reporting inconsistent numbers, imagine what they are doing for the academic achievement of our students. More money should equal more dollars per students. Where is this money going? If you are having a Reduction in Force, RIF, every year, that means a district is not really being truthful about spending money on salaries.
Its a privelege to receive monies from the state lottery system – but where is it really going? In the pockets of the “higher ups”?
Has anyone checked the salaries of people in the fiscal departments of both school districts? These people make from $120-160K per year. And to do what? To give more monies to the croonies, the crooks, the people who are the Chief of Staffs, Superintendents, COO’s, Executive Directors….its a shame that our children cannot get accepted into four year universities because their education is lacking due to a lack of funds that have been documented on paper, but aren’t for the clients, the students of the district.
SO BASICALLY THE COMPTON SCHOOL BOARD ARE THIEVES LIKE THE MAYOR & COUNCIL
School districts should ask for an increase on the reimbursement rates for ADA.
Yes they are. They are bedfellows in the political world. They haven’t improved schools they voted to issue $300 million bonds. For what? Pocket change.