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April 30, 2012 - This report provides an overview and assessment of the state's comprehensive system for monitoring the fiscal condition of school districts. Under this system, County Offices of Education review the fiscal condition of school districts at several points during the year and provide additional support for districts showing signs of fiscal distress. In the most serious case—when a district no longer appears able to meet its financial obligations—the state provides the district with an emergency loan and assumes administrative control. Our review indicates that the oversight system has been effective in preserving school district fiscal health and preventing districts from requiring an emergency loan. Most notably, during the more than 20 years the new system has been in effect, 8 districts have received emergency state loans whereas 26 districts required such loans in the 12 years prior to the new system. Additionally, the number of districts experiencing fiscal distress has increased in tight budget times, but without a corresponding increase in the number of emergency loans required. This suggests the system’s structure of support and intervention is serving a critical early warning function—allowing districts to get the help they need while fiscal problems tend to be smaller and more manageable. Given its effectiveness, we recommend preserving the existing system, as it has shown to be a vital tool for fostering the ongoing fiscal well-being of districts.
April 26, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 On Education
April 24, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
April 11, 2012 - Presented at the CASBO 2012 Annual Conference
March 26, 2012 - Presented to 4th District PTA on March 26, 2012.
March 26, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
March 26, 2012 - Presented to Senate Select Committee on English Learners
March 22, 2012 - Reductions to school district budgets over the past five years have resulted in a sharp decline in the teacher workforce, with the number of full–time teachers decreasing by 32,000 since 2007–08. This has led to an increased focus on how the teacher layoff process works. This report gives an overview of the existing layoff process, evaluates how well the process is working, and makes recommendations for improving its effectiveness. For our analysis, we distributed a survey to all public school districts in the state asking them about their implementation of the teacher layoff process, used information provided by two state agencies--the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH)--and included information from the California Teachers Association (CTA).
March 14, 2012 - Presented to the Joint Hearing of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services and Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance. Hon. Holly J. Mitchell and Hon. Susan Bonilla, Chairs
March 13, 2012 - Presented to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance Hon. Susan Bonilla, Chair
March 6, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
March 1, 2012 - Presented to the California Charter Schools Conference.
February 29, 2012 - State budget update presented at California Charter Schools Conference.
February 16, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee