Trustees hear update on Special Education Department
ATASCADERO — During its Tuesday, Sept. 14, meeting, the Atascadero Unified School District School Board got updates on the district's 2026-27 Revised Budget and its Special Education Department.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Kendyl Darnell introduced the budget for the board, explaining that the district first gets funding from state property taxes, and if that doesn't satisfy the allocation needed, state funding makes up the difference.
She also pointed out that state funding comes bases on attendance and enrollment numbers (ADA), with a percentage taken from funds when a student misses school. The latest numbers show AUSD having 4,275 students and an ADA rate of approximately 93.8%.
"AUSD has seen some dips in enrollment, and since 2019, we've lost about 600 kids from enrollment," Darnell said. "Not a major drop, but still enough to impact our numbers."
Darnell said the district had been operating at a deficit and was looking for ways to fix that with unrestricted funds, which can be used for any purpose in the district. She said that work over the past year was focused on paying the debt and looking for more efficiency.
Darnell again referenced the one-time Student Support and Professional Development Discretionary Block Grant Proposal, which was introduced at the previous meeting on Sept. 1 and approved by the board, and gave the $3.7 million to be used at the district's discretion. Darnell suggested at the time using the money for "investing" in the district, rather than just making purchases. Also, the district received a final installment of a Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant of $340,000.
The district's share of the SSPDDBG was $3.7 million and that and the LREBG was used to supplement funds and give the district a projected $981,329 surplus for 2026-27. However, Darnell also noted that the district is projected $2 million deficit in 2027-28 and a just under $1.6 million deficit in 2028-29. The disrepancy in those numbers and the surplus for this year is that the two grants mentioned earlier could only be used in the year AUSD received it.
"While we continue to pay that money down, we call it 'planned deficit spending,' because we cannot continue to book those reserves," Darnell said.
After her presentation, Darnell was asked by Trustee Vy Pierce how the district can recapture funds when students miss class. Darnell answered that there were two options they could use.
"One is a short-term independent study contract, where if we know the student is going to have an extended absence, we can have him do indendent study for their schoolwork, and completing contract earns attendance credit," she said. "Second is a new attendance recovery program we're trying to launch where students get tutoring, receiving support from a certificated teacher and recoup attendance, although it won’t wipe out the absence."
After the presentation, the board voted to accept the budget by a 7-0 vote.
Later on in the meeting, in the evening's Study Session topic, Kaitlynn Greenberg, the district's director of student intervention services, gave an update of the Special Education Department after the SIS restructuring.
"Our department went through a restructure, we looked at a lot of data over the past few years," Greenberg said. "What was screaming loud and clear to us is more of a need for the teacher support that we have been trying to provide, but not quite reaching the levels we wanted."
Greenberg said they have been seeing benefits since the restructure, with improvements teacher and school psychologist mentoring, capacity building, and more professional development. Also, training of para-educators, and building a better system to retain staff.
Those factors have filtered in to the students, Greenberg said, as the number of students receiving special education in AUSD has fallen below the national average. Greenberg said some of that reduction could be because of declining enrollment, but said that other factors include improving training and practices, and the system she called Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).
Greenberg also noted that chronic absenteeism and discipline rates have declined also, but the system can improve further.
"We have a lot of room to grow, and a lot of work to do," she said.
After the presentation was finished Trustee Rebeka Koznek asked Greenberg what the board can do to support the SIS's efforts to improve.
After half-jokingly saying "Money?", Greenberg said, "Keep a pulse on what’s going on; it's a positive, powerful thing for people to see our professional development, and make that connection. Would be huge for our staff."
Koznek replied with "just give us an invitation," with fellow Trustee Tracy Ellis-Weit following up with "invite us; we don't know when to come, or where to go."
Greenberg assured them she would be contacting the trustees soon.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Bennett had praise and appreciation for the department's efforts.
"You guys have worked hard. This is a difficult time to be in SE. I appreciate your efforts," he said. "I told the board that when I got here at the start of year, [SIS employees] were here the very first day and already settled in. Thank you for your efforts, I know it hasn’t been easy."
The next AUSD board meeting will by Tuesday, Oct. 6, with closed session starting at 5:30 p.m. and regular session at 7 p.m.