County review flags enrollment decline and deficit trend; board accepts LEO correspondence and hears refinancing savings

The Lawndale Elementary School District board received a fiscal review from the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LEO) and formally accepted the correspondence at its May 7 meeting.

A letter from LEO (dated April 14) "concurred with the district's positive certification" but identified several concerns: the district projects operating deficits in its unrestricted general fund over the next three years; a multi-year trend of deficit spending could erode required reserves; and enrollment and funded average daily attendance (ADA) are projected to decline. The correspondence stated enrollment could fall by about 168 students (approximately 3.95%) and ADA by about 123 students (approximately 2.98%), and requested an updated fiscal stabilization plan with the adopted 2026–27 budget by July 1, 2026.

Superintendent Dr. Virginia Castro also announced the district completed a refinancing of some existing bonds and said the transaction will save taxpayers an aggregate of about $1 million over a 20-year period.

After the presentation of the correspondence, Clerk Anne Phillips moved and Trustee Coronado seconded a motion "to accept and file" the LEO correspondence; the board carried the motion by hand vote.

Public comment during the meeting included a lengthy statement from a sixth-grade student, Eric Ramirez of Will Rogers Middle School, who urged the board to reconsider proposed teacher reductions, warning that larger class sizes would harm student learning and safety and noting the district continues to spend on programs such as I-Ready. Ramirez also said I-Ready faces a federal class-action lawsuit alleging unlawful collection and monitoring of student data; the board did not directly respond to that allegation during the meeting.

What this means: The LEO letter formally requests the district update and submit a fiscal stabilization plan tied to the 2026–27 adopted budget; trustees voted to accept the correspondence and will need subsequent costed options and updates from staff in response to LEO’s recommendations.