The following letter was sent out the community on Wednesday after the Los Angeles County Office of Education designated the Burbank Unified School District “Lack of Growing Concern”:
Dear Burbank Unified School District Community,
We are writing to share important information recently received from the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). On January 7, 2026, LACOE formally notified the Burbank Unified School District that the County Superintendent has designated the district as “Lack of Going Concern” pursuant to Education Code 42127.6. This determination is based on several factors outlined in the linked letter below, including leadership vacancies and ongoing investigations related to fiscal operations.
We want to address this designation openly, directly, and with full clarity.
First and most importantly: BUSD is not cash insolvent.
We continue to meet all of our financial obligations, including payroll, vendor payments, and contractual commitments. While the concerns identified by LACOE are serious, they do not reflect a district that is unable to function financially. Again, BUSD is fully paying its employees and paying its vendors.
Second: LACOE is not taking over the District.
This notification does not trigger a state or county takeover, nor does it remove local control from the Board of Education. Instead, it initiates an additional layer of fiscal oversight and support, which districts across the state experience periodically.
Third: Our First Interim Report will confirm a positive certification.
We expect our First Interim financial report to demonstrate that BUSD will continue to meet its financial obligations this year and in the subsequent two years, criteria required for a positive certification. This is an important indicator of our fiscal stability moving forward.
We view this moment not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity to strengthen our systems, reinforce and satisfy our financial commitments, and move forward with budgetary clarity and purpose. Leadership vacancies are actively being addressed, including our public search and recruitment process for the next Superintendent of Burbank Unified. BUSD just hired a new Director of Fiscal Services and is working towards hiring an Assistant Superintendent for Business Services. These positions are essential for long‑term stability and organizational strength.
One step that the District has taken is with the formation of the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee, which reflects our commitment to collaborative problem‑solving and shared responsibility for fiscal stewardship. We are grateful for the time, expertise, and partnership of our community members who are participating in this work. In an upcoming communication we will share more about the work of the Advisory Committee.
LACOE has also assigned a Fiscal Expert to partner with BUSD, and we welcome this support. Together, we will stabilize operations, strengthen internal controls, and ensure the District remains on a responsible and sustainable financial path. This collaboration will include a deeper review of fiscal practices and coordinated planning with the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee.
Despite the challenges before us, we remain confident in the strength and resilience of this community. Burbank Unified is filled with dedicated educators, committed families, and remarkable students who inspire our work every day. Together, we will move through this period with integrity, clarity, and determination.
We will rebuild trust, reinforce our systems, and ensure BUSD remains a District where students learn, grow, and thrive. We are an educational institution and to that end we want to assure you that our educational systems are strong and work towards the betterment of students academically, socially, and emotionally.
We encourage you to review the LACOE BUSD Lack of Going Concern Letter for full details. This letter will also be posted on the BUSD website. LACOE officials will be in attendance for the January 15, 2026 Board of Education meeting and will speak to this designation and support during Superintendent Comments.
We will continue to provide updates as this process moves forward.
Our path ahead requires collective effort, but we believe deeply in what we will accomplish together.
In Partnership,
Ms. Abigail Pontzer Kamkar, President, Board of Education
Oscar Macias, Ed.D., Interim Superintendent
Burbank Unified School District
Here is a copy of the letter sent to the District:
President Kamkar, your letter makes out like we should feel lucky the LACOE is involved with the BUSD. It is in fact a very serious event. Your attempt to whitewash their involvement is troubling. The LACOE is here because leadership at all levels has failed.
Ms. Kamkar, you also reference the “Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee” – as if this is some panica to the districts problems.
Please consider this: This committee is set up to AVOID public oversight and the inclusion of being regulated by the Brown Act. Also, the SBAC includes three high school students. What knowledge or experience do high school students have with budgets or managing a large organization? Their inclusion undermines the seriousness of the topic at hand. It is not possible for a student group to add anything substantive. It would be far better to add three people more with a degree in Certified Public Accounting. This SBAC is merely a smoke show and a poor attempt to try anything to make it look like you are solving something. It should also be noted that the meetings will not be televised.
Joel Schlossman
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