CVUSD announces ‘Fiscal Stabilization Plan’ to deal with $44M budget shortfall

A developing story on the $44 million budget shortfall facing the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

The CVUSD board took action Wednesday night, announcing a Fiscal Stabilization Plan after a special closed session. It includes the district using $13 million in one-time funds from re-development accounts to shore up its budget.

It also calls for the "right-sizing" of the district's budget.

The school board again blamed the situation on the end of temporary funds that started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years our school district has faced significant financial challenges largely due to a reliance on one-time funding designated to address learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As those temporary funds ended, the district is committed to responsibly managing the budget and ensuring that our district remains fiscally stable, equitable, and, focused on student success," Joey Acuña, CVUSD school board president, read in a statement from the district.

News Channel 3 anchor John White spoke with the CVUSD Superintendent Dr. Frances Esparza following the special meeting. She said this plan, with the use of the $13 million gives the district some room to operate and major spending cuts will be on the way but not until the end of this current school year.

I-Team investigator Jeff Stahl went in-depth on CVUSD's budget crisis and possible state takeover.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.