California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), implemented beginning with the 2013–14 fiscal year, distributes funding to school districts based on a district’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and the percentage of students who are:
- Low-income
- English Learners
- Foster Youth
Collectively, this group is referred to as “unduplicated pupils” as each student is only counted once, even if they fall into multiple categories.
For definitions, take a look at the Education Lingo Glossary of Terms.
Rim of the World Unified School District (ROWUSD) has consistently received less funding per student than neighboring districts because of its lower Unduplicated Pupil Percentage (UPP). Despite implementing several successful outreach strategies to increase reporting, the District’s UPP is still below nearby districts’ and as a result, all nearby school districts receive large amounts more in Supplemental and Concentration Grant funding compared to Rim.
Understanding LCFF
The Local Control Funding Formula includes these high-level components:
- Base Grant: Varies by grade span, adjusted annually for COLA. Read more about the proposed 2025–26 COLA and how this is not enough to cover rising costs.
- Supplemental Grant: Additional 20% funding of Base for each Unduplicated Pupil.
- Concentration Grant: Additional 65% funding for each pupil over 55% UPP threshold.
As a result, UPP plays a significant role in funding calculations. Districts with higher UPPs receive substantially more LCFF dollars per student compared to districts with a lower UPP.
For context, LCFF COLA-Adjusted Base Grant Rates for per Average Daily Attendance (per ADA) proposed under the Governor’s 2025–26 May Revision are as follows:
| Grade Span | COLA-Adjusted Base Grant Rates (per ADA) |
|---|---|
| TK–3 | $11,323 |
| Grades 4–6 | $10,411 |
| Grades 7–8 | $10,719 |
| Grades 9–12 | $12,746 |
| TK Add-On | $5,545 |
Why Rim Receives Less than Every Surrounding School District
Despite similar service demands, Rim receives less LCFF funding per ADA than every surrounding district due to its lower UPP. Below is a comparison showing the additional LCFF funding Rim would receive if it had the same UPP as nearby districts:
| District | Estimated UPP for 2024–25 School Year | LCFF Impact if Rim had the same UPP | Estimated Annual Per Student Funding if Rim had the same UPP (i.e. Average Per ADA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino City Unified | 93% | + $7.80 million | $16,620 |
| Lucerne Valley Unified | 90% | + $7.02 million | $16,324 |
| Hesperia Unified | 77% | + $3.64 million | $15,042 |
| Apple Valley Unified | 76% | + $3.38 million | $14,944 |
| Bear Valley Unified | 71% | + $2.08 million | $14,451 |
| Redlands Unified | 66% | + 780,000 | $13,958 |
| Rim of the World Unified | 63% | + 0 | $13,662 |
The difference is structural: Districts with higher UPPs receive significantly more in Supplemental and Concentration grants. Rim’s lower UPP, despite strong attendance, means fewer resources per student, even with similar student needs, uniquely higher costs due to the geographic location, and rising operational costs.
What this Lower Funding Amount Means
With Rim receiving up to nearly $3,000 less per student per year compared to surrounding districts, that means the District cannot afford what other districts can. When combined with higher operational costs due to the geography and infrastructure, the result is stark: Fewer services for Rim students, difficulty keeping pace with regional salary levels — despite having the most generous health benefits in the area —, and a structural budget deficit that would be eliminated if only Rim were funded more equitably.
Jordan Zarate, the Trustee representing Area 5 (Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, Green Valley Lake) decried:
“Why do our students matter less? More than two of every three students in our district are considered ‘high needs’ but we receive thousands of dollars less per student per year. What makes students in our rural mountain communities less worthy of investment? How can we be expected to provide the same services, the same salaries, and the same staffing levels as other districts without the same resources? It is a clear example of how our unincorporated communities are yet again left behind by well-intentioned policies.”
What Rim Has Done to Increase Official UPP
While UPP has increased thanks to improved identification and self-reporting initiatives implemented by the District over the last 7+ years, local cultural dynamics such as community pride and privacy concerns have likely contributed to historic underreporting. Based on community demographics, there is a suspicion that Rim’s true UPP is much higher than reported. In order to increase identification, Rim has:
- Shifted from paper forms to online tools (including using tablets).
- Embedded UPP forms into Welcome Back Packets.
- Linked UPP data collection to transportation services such as bus pass distribution.
These efforts helped raise Rim’s UPP from the mid-50s to 63%, but there is more to do.
The Bottom Line and What Comes Next
The Board of Education is analyzing Unduplicated Pupil Count (UPC) data across California to identify other underfunded districts and potentially build coalitions for education funding reform.
Without major legislative changes that recognize the challenges of rural districts like Rim, the District will continue to be much more underfunded compared to its neighbors. Despite serving a majority of students with similar or greater needs — more than two of every three students in the District — Rim simply does not receive extra funding to support them at the level surrounding districts are supported.
In June of 2025, the Rim of the World Unified School District Board of Trustees will discuss, refine, and adopt an advocacy platform to call for reforms that address LCFF inequities, protect Proposition 98, and ensure full & fair funding for rural and mountainous school districts, particularly ones in unincorporated areas. These efforts seek to secure the resources Rim students need and deserve.
LCFF Comparison Methodology Summary
To model the funding impact of Unduplicated Pupil Percentage (UPP) on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) allocations, the following methodology was used:
Grade Span Weights
Rim of the World Unified School District’s actual 2025–26 grade span distribution was used to calculate a weighted base grant:
| Grade Span | Rim’s Enrollment Distribution |
|---|---|
| TK–3 | 31.6% |
| Grades 4–6 | 20.8% |
| Grades 7–8 | 10.5% |
| Grades 9–12 | 37.1% |
These weights were applied to the 2025–26 LCFF Base Grant rates (including applicable Grade Span Adjustments), as established in the May Revision:
| Grade Span | COLA-Adjusted Base Grant Rates (per ADA) |
|---|---|
| TK–3 | $11,323 |
| Grades 4–6 | $10,411 |
| Grades 7–8 | $10,719 |
| Grades 9–12 | $12,746 |
The result is a weighted average Base Grant of approximately $11,307 per ADA for Rim.
Supplemental and Concentration Grants
Each district’s UPP was applied to determine the Supplemental and Concentration grants:
- Supplemental Grant = 20% × Base Grant × UPP
- Concentration Grant = 65% × Base Grant × (UPP – 55%) Note: Only applies to the portion of UPP above 55%
These were added to the weighted base to calculate the Estimated Average Per ADA Funding for Rim.
Total LCFF Revenue, excluding LCFF Add-Ons
All districts were modeled using Rim’s actual Average Daily Attendance (ADA) of 2,637.24 to isolate the impact of UPP alone. Total LCFF was calculated as:
Estimated Per ADA Funding × ADA
LCFF Impact
Each district’s modeled LCFF revenue was compared against Rim’s projected revenue under a 63% UPP to determine the LCFF Impact (i.e. the amount Rim would receive if it had the same UPP as that district).
Consistency
All districts were modeled with:
- Same grade span weights (Rim’s actual from the 2024–25 school year)
- Same ADA (Rim’s 2,637.24)
- Same 2025–26 LCFF rates and formula rules
The result is a clean, apples-to-apples comparison of how UPP alone influences LCFF funding, excluding LCFF add-ons.
2025–26 Budget Discussions
This is part of an ongoing series covering the implications of the 2025–26 budget on our local schools in Rim of the World Unified School District. Read more articles in the series now.