Budget Portal
Where your local tax dollars come from, and where they go.
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Adopted budget, FY 2026-27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
Adopted by the County Board of Education on June 25, 2026, after a public hearing. Figures are for the General Fund, the County Office of Education's main operating fund.
General Fund spending
$95.1M
Includes $11,570,001 of capital outlay and $5,000,000 passed through to other agencies.
General Fund revenue
$74.8M
Planned draw on General Fund balance
$20.3M
Spending exceeds revenue; the fund balance falls from $54,285,178 to $33,994,200.
Projected General Fund balance, end of year
$34.0M
$11,809,145 of it is restricted to specific programs.
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Where the General Fund's money comes from
Total $74.8M
- Local Control Funding Formula (state school funding formula)$38.1M (50.9%)
- Other state revenue$16.9M (22.6%)
- Other local revenue$12.5M (16.7%)
- Federal funds passed through to others$5.0M (6.7%)
- Federal revenue$2.3M (3.1%)
General Fund spending by program
Total $95.1M
- General unrestricted operations$26.4M (27.8%)
- Local programs (includes $11,420,000 capital outlay)$21.0M (22.1%)
- Special education$16.9M (17.8%)
- Alternative education$15.6M (16.4%)
- Categorical (restricted state and federal) programs$13.0M (13.7%)
- Routine and restricted maintenance$1.9M (2.0%)
- Career technical education (CTEP)$355K (0.4%)
The budget's program totals add to $1 more than its General Fund total (rounding).Source: Santa Cruz County Office of Education 2026-27 Adopted Budget, Multi-Year Projections (PDF page numbers), p. 3
Good to know
- The Local Control Funding Formula provides $38,087,633, 50.9% of General Fund revenue. Santa Cruz County Office of Education 2026-27 Adopted Budget, Multi-Year Projections (PDF page numbers), p. 3
- Salaries and benefits total $59,078,722: $16,351,663 certificated, $20,715,030 classified, and $22,012,029 in benefits. Santa Cruz County Office of Education 2026-27 Adopted Budget, Multi-Year Projections (PDF page numbers), p. 3
- The County Board of Education adopted the budget on June 25, 2026, after a public hearing. Santa Cruz County Office of Education 2026-27 Adopted Budget, state SACS report (PDF page numbers), p. 2
Notes on the numbers
- These are General Fund figures. Across all of its funds (including its charter school, adult education and capital funds), the County Office of Education budgets $91,171,450 in revenue (Multi-Year Projections, p. 4).
- The summary page is headed "2026-27 Proposed Budget for Adoption"; the state budget report certifies that this budget was adopted on June 25, 2026.
Every figure is taken from Santa Cruz County Office of Education's own budget documents and was checked against the source page on 2026-09-27. All of this budget's documents