Element One:
 Transparency Requirements
◦ Current law
Element Two:
 Reserve Caps
◦ Implemented only if Proposition 2 is approved by
voters November 4
◦ If approved, “Trigger” events must then occur
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SB 858 - Created new “transparency requirements” for
School District reserves
◦ Budget adoption and all revisions must include “Review and
Discussion” of reserves:
 Minimum reserve for Economic Uncertainties (3% of
expenditures for most districts)
 Combined “Assigned” & “Unassigned” ending fund balances in
excess of the minimum noted above
 Statement of reasons for assigned & unassigned ending fund
balances
◦ Provide for each year of the budget
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Applicable funds:
 Fund 01, General Fund
 Fund 17, Special Reserve Fund (other than
capital outlay)
Effective with budgets adopted for the 201516 year
 COE shall confirm District compliance
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SB 858 also places a hard cap on reserves if
Proposition 2 passes in November 2014


Would create “Public School System Stabilization Account”
(Prop 98 Rainy Day Reserve)
Contributions to the reserve unlikely for years, and likely will
occur infrequently – triggers are:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Capital gains taxes at 8% of state revenue (7 of last 16 years)
Prop 98 at Test 1 (3 of 26 years)
Prop 98 maintenance factor paid in full (could take 5-6 years)
Prop 98 not suspended (suspended 2x since 2004)
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If all of these occur, then a deposit is made
to the state Prop 98 Rainy Day Fund
Cap on District reserves will then apply to the next fiscal year
◦ Assigned & Unassigned Ending Fund Balance capped at 2x minimum
Economic Uncertainty Reserves (6% for most school districts)
Cap will apply each year after a contribution is made
◦ No contribution? No cap on reserves
Cap will become operative December 15, 2014 if Prop 2 passes
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County Superintendent may waive the cap

Up to 2 consecutive years within a 3 year period, if:
◦ School District provides documentation of “extraordinary
circumstances”, which may include:
 Multiyear infrastructure or technology projects
◦ School District has no other fiscal resources to fund the
extraordinary circumstances
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
Implement board policy and regulations
regarding reserve practices
◦ If policy in place, review in light of Prop 2
implications
◦ Consider reasons why you need reserves
◦ Identify and define purpose behind all reserve
dollars – never allow funds to “fall to undesignated
and unassigned” category
◦ Also in preparation for SB 858 Transparency
Requirements effective 2015-16
◦ Sample provided by CSBA (Gamut)
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
Create “Committed” reserve in General Fund
as a “Budget Stabilization Reserve”
◦ Follow same logic that State used to create its Rainy
Day Fund
 Create a funding source to stabilize funding swings
◦ These funds are in a “Lockbox”
 Board resolution determines criteria of when funds go
in, and when they come out
 Can’t use on a discretionary basis
 Consult with your auditors
 Opinions vary on appropriate use
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
Reserve for implementation of Common Core
State Standards
◦ Technology, instructional materials
◦ Staff development

Fund retiree benefit obligations
◦ Transfer to Fund 20 = Special Reserve – can
recapture dollars if needed
◦ Transfer to Fund 71 = Irrevocable Trust – can’t get
dollars back!
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
Start spending reserves now
◦ Spend the funds before they are capped
 Can this be done efficiently and effectively?
 What if Prop 2 doesn’t pass?

Don’t budget reserves
◦ Cap applies to budgets
◦ Adopt and approve budgets that don’t reflect reserves
above the state required Economic Uncertainty reserve
(3% for most districts)
 How does this square with Transparency Requirements?
 Will this budget be approved by COE?
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
Wait and See
◦ Implement Transparency Requirements
 Required activity per SB 858
◦ Wait for Nov 2 election results
 If it passes, consider likelihood of Cap given likelihood
of Trigger events
 It’s likely to be at least several years before caps are
implemented
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
Reserve Transparency is now required by
state law
◦ How do incentives to avoid the cap square up with
transparency requirement?

Sudden and hasty spending down of reserves
◦ Is this an effective way to spend millions of
education dollars across the state?

LCAP will require more fiscal flexibility, not
less
◦ Cap is inconsistent with local control tenants of
LCAP era
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ADA
Greater of:
Percentage
Dollars
0-300
5%
$64,000
301-1,000
4%
$64,000
1,001 to
30,000
3%
n/a
30,001 to
400,000
2%
n/a
Over
400,000
1%
n/a
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
COE’s encourage reserves that exceed the
minimum
◦ Past recession is proof 3% is insufficient
◦ 3% is only two weeks payroll
◦ GFOA recommends two months operating
expenditures, or 17%
◦ Rating agencies note average reserves have been
about 15% in recent years
◦ Cash on hand is enhanced by adequate reserving
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
Other considerations for reserve levels
◦ External mandates
 STRS, PERS rate increases
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Protection against declining enrollment
Volatility of property taxes for basic aid districts
Volatility of Basic Aid Supplemental funding
Expiring parcel taxes
Volatile state revenues
Unanticipated expenditures
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The restricted fund balance category includes amounts that can be spent
only for the specific purposes stipulated by constitution, external resource
providers, or through enabling legislation.
The committed fund balance classification includes amounts that can be
used only for the specific purposes determined by a formal action of the
government’s highest level of decision-making authority.
Amounts in the assigned fund balance classification are intended to be
used by the government for specific purposes but do not meet the criteria
to be classified as restricted or committed.
Unassigned fund balance is the residual classification for the government’s
general fund and includes all spendable amounts not contained in the
other classifications.
Governments are required to disclose information about the processes
through which constraints are imposed on amounts in the committed and
assigned classifications.
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