Update August 8: City staff has proposed changes to the city's capital improvement plan to make sure CCUSD gets the funds it needs. A few of the changes are undesirable, but some compromise is necessary. Please write to the City Council and encourage them to approve staff's recommendation to fund CCUSD.

You can also speak at the City Council meeting, online or in person, on Monday, August 11 at 7pm:

1. Click here to sign up to speak. Make sure to indicate you want to speak on Agenda Item A-2.
2. Join the City Council meeting virtually on Monday at 7pm by clicking this link.
3. Or come to to City Hall in person at 9770 Culver Blvd.

Culver City schools need financial help and are asking our City for support. This year alone, CCUSD has eliminated 39 positions to reduce its budget deficit. Even more reductions will be necessary, but financial support from the City can lessen the extent of the cuts.

“CCUSD is in a moment of deep fiscal crisis. Without intervention, the District faces devastating cuts that will jeopardize student outcomes, decimate key programs, and trigger the loss of local governance through state receivership. Your support tonight is not a bailout—it is a partnership investment in the long-term vitality, equity, and excellence of our public schools and our shared City.” CCUSD Board President Triston Ezidore, requesting City support on July 14, 2025. Read the full letter here.

In order to avoid the worst impacts on our students, CCUSD needs short term support from our City: $2.5 million in the current budget year (FY 2025-26), and $2.5M in both FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28 (a total of $7.5M over 3 years). This is the minimum needed to remove the “qualified” status of the District’s budget. The state assigns a "qualified" certification to a district when there is a risk that it won't be able to meet its financial obligations in the current fiscal year or the two following years.

The District is in the process of identifying long-term solutions for the additional revenue needed to fund all of the programs that make our schools outstanding. However, without a commitment of at least $2.5M in annual support from the City for 3 years, our schools will not only be forced to make massive additional cuts, but will face potential state receivership, which would mean losing local control over staffing and program decision-making as well as devastating reputational damage.

Why does CCUSD have a budget problem?

Declining enrollment, the loss of COVID-era funding, and significant federal education cuts, in addition to unusually high inflation, have combined to create tremendous stress on the operating budget of Culver City schools. The CCUSD budget has relied on funding provided by the parcel tax, originally approved in 2018. It was renewed with no increase in November 2024 when Measure O passed – but inflation has increased costs by more than 25% over those six years. Measure E, the bond approved by voters in March 2024, is limited to paying for much needed school construction and modernization.

Culver City schools are essential to a thriving city. Whether someone has children enrolled in our public schools or not, educating the next generation matters for all of us. Our community comes together for all kinds of school activities: festivals, plays, sporting events, open houses and graduations. Our kids are growing up together and making lifelong friends that connect families from all parts of the City into a community that cares for one another. Valuing our schools, and understanding how important they are, means that Culver City needs to step up with critically needed temporary support while the District implements long term, sustainable revenue strategies in future years.

Funding our schools is funding our community.

What you can do: City Council will meet on Monday, August 11 to discuss CCUSD’s request for short term emergency funding. Please write and tell our Council members that you support our schools and want Culver City to partner with CCUSD by providing essential funding during this critical time.

“It is no longer a matter of careful planning and collapsing responsibilities; more cuts mean students will lose access to the very programs that make our schools desirable. Salary and benefits comprise about 90% of our operating budget and the next round of cuts will have a substantial impact on our scholars as essential positions and popular programs will be considered. We need immediate help from our city partners in order to retain the breadth and quality of our services to ensure Culver City remains a destination school district.” Stephanie Loredo, Vice-President, CCUSD Board of Education