Finance director reports audits underway and CalFire intent-to-award for Green Schoolyards grant

The finance director told the board auditors are reviewing the 25–26 files and an audit report should be available by the December board meeting; concurrently a CDE nutrition procurement review is underway with documents due Oct. 1. The director flagged state and local fiscal matters that affect school budgets — a recent Federal Reserve interest-rate increase, lawsuits over withheld Proposition 98 funds and a countywide sales tax increase effective Oct. 1 that will raise the local sales-and-use tax to roughly 10.25 percent.

On grants, the director said the school received an intent-to-award letter from CalFire for a Green Schoolyards grant of $1,500,000 to support nature-based climate solutions and outdoor learning infrastructure; the grant requires a contract before work begins. The director also summarized other pending federal grant applications and advised the board that some expected federal awards remain delayed.