Riverside Unified presents midyear LCAP and $161M budget overview, cites progress on EL supports and coaching

Riverside Unified officials presented the midyear update of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) on Feb. 12, describing implementation progress, midyear outcome data and an updated budget overview for parents.

Dr. Laura Dean, presenting the LCAP update, said the district’s current plan contains five priority goal areas, 72 actions and 219 indicators intended to track resource alignment and program effectiveness. The slideshow compared the adopted budget to first‑interim figures; the district reported a modest net increase in total LCFF funds at first interim but a decrease in supplemental and concentration revenues linked to enrollment changes in unduplicated pupils. Staff described total LCAP‑related expenditures and carryover that bring the programmatic total to roughly $161 million in combined LCAP and other identified funds.

Dean highlighted expanded educator supports as a key strategy: the district increased EL coaches (now 50% positions in all elementary sites and secondary), expanded math coaching and added full‑time MTSS liaisons for secondary schools. She said reclassification of English learners is progressing and cited 571 students reclassified as English proficient to date, with more expected when ELPAC results are released.

Board members probed data sources and sustainability of grant‑funded positions. Trustee Kinnear asked about the funding model for dual‑language immersion (DLI) and whether base salaries were being counted in program totals; staff said additional analysis would be provided. Trustees also requested clearer follow‑up measures and asked for more community outreach; administrators pointed to nine planned family forums and classroom focus groups used to collect qualitative input.

Dr. Dean and staff said more midyear assessment results will be added to future reports but that early indicators show favorable trends in some interim math measures and that suspension rates have declined modestly. The district will use midyear findings to refine LCAP actions before next year’s adoption.