The MBUSD budget math, explained

June 2026 · Updated June 11, 2026

Editor's note (June 11, 2026): this early piece predated our current sourcing standards. Its framing figures came from the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation's fundraising appeal as it stood in early June and can no longer be independently verified — and several have since been superseded by verified numbers (MBEF's grant for 2026-27 came in at $7,636,400, the largest in its history, and the district's own Second Interim report projects the deficit path). Rather than leave stale numbers standing, we've replaced this page with pointers to our current, fully sourced coverage:

• Why MBUSD's shrinking enrollment matters — the math behind the budget crisis — enrollment, per-student funding, the deficit projections, the 58.85 authorized layoffs, and what the district is doing.
• Who is MBUSD's new superintendent — and the budget deficit she inherits — Dr. Kimberlie Linz, hired in part for her budget credentials, starts July 1.

The budget gets adopted at the board's public hearings June 17 (5 p.m.) and June 18 (8 a.m.), per MBUSD's board calendar — public comment is open.

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General information, not advice.