Chart: LAUSD’s unrestricted reserve represents 35% of 2024-25 total expenditures, while other major California school districts maintained a reserve of 19% or less.

According to the district’s latest numbers, the reserve now sits at $5.03 billion — the largest reserve of any school district in the country. California Education Code requires the largest school districts in the state to keep a minimum of 1% of total expenditures in unrestricted funds for economic uncertainty. At the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year, LAUSD had unrestricted reserves equal to 35% of total spending last year. Meaning, the district is sitting on 35 times what is required by the state, while other major California school districts’ unrestricted reserves are equal to less than a fifth of their total spending.

$5.03 billion in school dollars are sitting in the bank rather than being spent on staffing, supplies, facility upgrades, and programs our students desperately need. And it’s not about LAUSD’s credit rating — other districts have top ratings and less reserves.

Every delay is a choice. Every time the district shows up to bargaining without meaningful proposals, they are choosing to let students go without and to let educators reach new levels of burnout — and let money that belongs in our schools keep piling up reserves.