County warns district budget would sharply deplete reserves

What happened

Marin County approved Lagunitas’s 2026–27 budget but warned that projected deficits in that year and the next two would reduce the unrestricted ending fund balance by 66%. The county required the district to bring a revised budget for adoption in October after finding that the board-approved budget did not match the state and county filings; the agenda scheduled that action, but these records do not establish its outcome.

Why it matters to families

A three-year structural deficit and a steep reserve decline can force future changes to staffing, programs, or services. The county advised the district to develop a deficit-reduction plan; the district said it would make operational adjustments and update its projections in December.

The evidence

The September 15, 2026 Marin County Office of Education review says the adopted budget and LCAP were approved, while identifying unsustainable deficit spending across the budget year and two subsequent years, a 66% decrease in projected unrestricted ending fund balance, and the mismatch between the June board adoption and state/county submissions. It required a revised budget for adoption at the next October board meeting. The October 15 agenda lists revised-budget adoption as a recommended action, not a confirmed vote. The district response describes planned operational adjustments and a December first-interim report that would incorporate Measure A revenue.

The source