Staff
Jackie Barocio
(916) 319-8333
Child Care, Expanded Learning, School Facilities, and Teachers
Sara Cortez
(916) 319-8348
Special Education, Preschool, and Child Nutrition
Kenneth Kapphahn
(916) 319-8339
Proposition 98, School District Budgets, School Transportation
Lisa Qing
(916) 319-8306
California State University, Student Financial Aid
Paul Steenhausen
(916) 319-8303
California Community Colleges
Ian Klein
(916) 319-8336
University of California; College of the Law, San Francisco; California State Library
Michael Alferes
(916) 319-8338
Local Control Funding Formula, Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, High School Career Technical Education
Edgar Cabral
(916) 319-8343
Deputy Legislative Analyst: K-12 Education
Jennifer Pacella
(916) 319-8332
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Higher Education


Publications

Education

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.



Handout

Education Budget Overview

March 8, 2004 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on March 8, 2004.


Report

UC Research Facilities

February 18, 2004 - The University of California (UC) receives billions of dollars a year from faculty research contracts and grants (primarily with the federal government and private companies and organizations). Included in this revenue is hundreds of millions of dollars that the university charges for the use of facilities for this research. Because UC has the ability to recover these costs, we recommend the construction of new faculty research facilities be funded from this nonstate revenue.


Report

Financial Aid

February 18, 2004 - The Governor proposes significant new restrictions and reductions for the Cal Grant program. We recommend the Legislature reject these proposals and link grant levels with fee levels. We also offer an alternative way to achieve comparable General Fund savings.


Report

Student Fees

February 18, 2004 - The Governor proposes a variety of fee increases at all three public segments. While we believe most of these increases are reasonable, we recommend slightly smaller increases for several fees. We also recommend establishing a long-term fee policy that links student fees to a fixed percentage of educational costs.


Report

Higher Education Admissions and Enrollment

February 18, 2004 - Although the Governor proposes no new funding for enrollment growth at UC and CSU, we find that both universities have unused enrollment funding in their base budgets that would permit them to enroll more students in 2004-05 than in the current year.


Report

K-14 Outreach Programs

February 18, 2004 - Whereas the Governor proposes to eliminate General Fund support for outreach programs at the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU), we propose a new College Preparation Block Grant for K-12 schools to contract for outreach services.


Report

Analysis of the 2004-05 Budget Bill, Education Chapter

February 18, 2004 - Analysis of the 2004-05 Budget Bill, Education Chapter


Report

Analysis of the 2004-05 Budget Bill, Capital Outlay Chapter

February 18, 2004 - Analysis of the 2004-05 Budget Bill, Capital Outlay Chapter


Report

Maintaining the Master Plan's Commitment to College Access

February 13, 2004 - The expressed goal in current law is that all Californians should be afforded the opportunity to receive a college education. The Master Plan for Higher Education, originally adopted by the Legislature in 1960, has served as the state's higher education roadmap. This report describes the state's admissions policies and practices, and assesses how they relate to the Master Plan. While we conclude that the Master Plan's commitment to access can be maintained even in the current fiscal environment, this will require some adjustments in current policies and practices.


Handout

Overview of Outreach Programs and Funding

January 7, 2004 - Presented to Senate Select Committee on College and University Admissions and Outreach, Senate Education Committee, and Assembly Higher Education Committee.


Handout

Flexible Facility Utilization Standards: Higher Education

November 12, 2003 - Current state standards for utilization of higher education instructional facilities can be simplified and made more flexible. We recommend restating these standards on the basis of "annual hours of station use per year." This would both simplify the standards and accommodate year-round operation.


Report

Funding Higher Education Capital Outlay

February 19, 2003 - As in the past, we recommend the Legislature fund higher education capital outlay based on year-round operation, statewide priorities and criteria, reasonable construction cost guidelines, and appropriate utilization of existing facilities.


Report

California Community Colleges Fees

February 19, 2003 - We believe that the level of the proposed CCC fee--which would remain the lowest in the nation--is reasonable. However, the Governor's proposal misses an opportunity to significantly increase federal financial aid to needy students. This could be achieved by increasing the proposed fee by $1 per unit.


Report

Higher Education Financial Aid

February 19, 2003 - The Governor's budget would increase campus-specific financial aid programs at UC and CSU by about 60 percent. We recommend that the state instead provide additional funding for statewide financial aid programs that are open to all students, irrespective of the particular campus or system they select.


Report

Higher Education Enrollment Growth

February 19, 2003 - We believe the Governor's proposed enrollment increase at UC and CSU far exceeds any reasonable projection of demand. We therefore recommend that budgeted enrollment at UC and CSU be increased by 4 percent rather than 7 percent. We recommend that the Legislature consider increasing enrollment funding at CCC by up to $100 million.