The Castaic Union School District governing board on Thursday night unanimously approved its next school year’s local control and accountability plan, also known as the LCAP, and adopted its budget.
The LCAP is a three-year plan describing the district’s annual goals and specific actions to address state and local priorities to support outcomes for all students including foster youth, English learner, and low-income students, also known as “unduplicated students.”
The LCAP was developed in consultation with district personnel and community stakeholders. For next school year’s LCAP, the district conducted a public hearing for input on June 12.
The district will be entering its second year this next school year as it moves toward the goals set in 2024. The goals the district outlined were:
- The district will provide high-quality education to raise the academic achievement of all students.
- The district will provide a high-quality education program for all students focusing on academic intensity implementing a multi-tiered system of support to narrow the achievement gap for all student groups.
- The district will operate to increase efficiency and effectiveness in all areas of operation, promoting a safe and positive school environment.
- The Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant – the district will be able to provide support for small group instruction and support for students in transitional kindergarten.
According to the overview attached to the agenda item, for the 2024-25 school year, the district budgeted to spend about $2.15 million to improve or increase services for high needs students and actually spent $2.14 million — a difference of approximately $9,000.
The district plans to spend about $32 million for the 2025-26 school year, reads the overview. Of that amount, around $25.2 million is tied to the actions and services in the LCAP and nearly $6.8 million is not included in the LCAP.
The overview also reads that the district is projecting to receive about $2.1 million in concentration and supplemental grants based on the enrollment of “unduplicated students.” And the district plans to spend nearly $2.7 million toward improving or increasing services for these students in the next school year.
Board member Laura Pearson made a motion to approve the district’s LCAP plan. Board member Erik Richardson seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
Board member Fred Malcomb made a motion to approve and adopt the district’s 2025-26 budget, and board member Vincent Titiriga seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0.
