Huntington Beach City School District

Budget Approval Process

School Districts are required to adopt a budget by July 1 of each year. County superintendents are required to examine the adopted budget for each school district in the county and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) is required to examine the adopted budget for each county office of education. Budgets are examined for compliance with state-adopted criteria and standards, to identify technical corrections needed, and to determine whether the budget will allow the District to meet a budget year and multiyear financial commitments. Budgets must be approved or disapproved by specified dates.

Certifications of Interim Financial Reports

School Districts are required to file two reports during a fiscal year (interim reports) on the status of the District's financial health. The first interim report is due December 15 for the period ending October 31. The second interim report is due March 17 for the period ending January 31. County superintendents are to report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Controller the certification for all districts in their county within 75 days after the close of the reporting period.

The interim reports must include a certification of whether or not the LEA is able to meet its financial obligations. The certifications are classified as positive, qualified, or negative. A positive certification is assigned when the district will meet its financial obligations for the current and two subsequent fiscal years. A qualified certification is assigned when the district may not meet its financial obligations for the current or two subsequent fiscal years. A negative certification is assigned when a district will be unable to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the current year or for the subsequent fiscal year. In addition, the Superintendent of Public Instruction may reclassify the certification of any county office of education or reclassify a certification based on an appeal of a school district in accordance with the above standards.