School district approves 2012-13 budget

The Laguna Beach Unified School District on Tuesday approved its 2012-13 budget.

Overall, the district’s 2012-13 budget showed a loss of $181,306, but it is prepared for the reduction in state funding, Dean West, director of fiscal services, said in an earlier Coastline Pilot story. LBUSD is using unrestricted funds on programs originally funded by that revenue.

Unrestricted funds include those that come from property taxes and some local and state revenue. They’re relatively free from state restrictions and can be used for general operating costs of the district. About 91.7% of the total General Fund Budget is unrestricted, according to the report. Only 8.3% of the budget is restricted and must be used for categorical programs — and that includes money from state and federal funding, as well as some donations, grants and awards, which have stipulations for its use.

The property tax revenue for the next fiscal year is flat, at the same level as 2011-12, the district’s budget reported. Property taxes account for 88.2% of total projected revenue for 2012-13.

Overall revenue — which includes local funding, federal revenue, state revenue and other local revenue — went down $365,335.

The district’s budget reflected a decrease in salary expenditures, much of that due to several staff retirements.

Assistant Supt. Norma Shelton said that although the state is in fiscal crisis and local property values are in decline, Laguna Beach schools are prepared to negotiate the dwindling state contribution with reserves and a “conservative balanced budget.”

Joanna.clay@latimes.com

Twitter: @joannaclay