Education

The 2023-24 Budget: Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

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November 16, 2022 - Each year, the state calculates a “minimum guarantee” for school and community college funding based upon a set of formulas established by Proposition 98 (1988). Based upon recent signs of weakness in the economy, we estimate the guarantee in 2023‑24 is $2.2 billion (2 percent) below the 2022‑23 enacted budget level. Despite this drop, $7.6 billion would be available to provide increases for school and community college programs. In 2023‑24, the available funding could cover a cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) of up to 8.38 percent, which is slightly below our estimate of the statutory rate (8.73 percent). Over the next several years, growth in the guarantee and required reserve withdrawals would be just enough to cover the statutory COLA. Given this relatively precarious balance, we outline a few ways the Legislature could create a larger cushion to protect against revenue declines in the future.

Recent Funding to Address Teacher Shortages

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November 16, 2022 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

The 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Proposition 98

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October 24, 2022 - This post summarizes overall Proposition 98 funding and K-12 education spending in the 2022-23 budget package. It is part of our Spending Plan series, which contains posts focused on each major sector of the state budget.

The 2022-23 Budget: California Spending Plan Series

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September 29, 2022 - Each year, our office publishes California Spending Plan, a series of publications that summarize the annual state budget. The Overview of the California Spending Plan is presented here along with short online posts that focus on major areas and features of the 2022-23 budget package. As more of these posts become available, we will add them below.

Initiative Statute: Provides Additional Funding for Arts and Music Education in Public Schools

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June 1, 2022 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Education and Senate Education Committee

The 2022-23 Budget: Overview of May Revision K-12 Education Proposals

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May 18, 2022 - This handout analyzes the overall structure of the Governor's May Revision plan for school funding, including an assessment of the major augmentations and the underlying estimates of the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee.

The 2022-23 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

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May 16, 2022 - On May 13, 2022, Governor Newsom presented a revised state budget proposal to the Legislature. (This annual proposed revised budget is called the “May Revision.”) In this brief, we provide a summary of the Governor's revised budget, focusing on the overall condition and structure of the state General Fund—the budget's main operating account. In the coming days, we will analyze the plan in more detail and provide additional comments in hearing testimony and online. The information presented in this brief is based on our best understanding of the administration's proposals as of 11:00 AM, May 14, 2022. In many areas of the budget, this understanding will continue to evolve as we receive more information. We only plan to update this brief for very significant changes (that is, those greater than $500 million).

Update (5/20/22): Updated to reflect information about state appropriations limit (SAL) excluded spending and other budget proposals.

The 2022-23 Budget: Update on K-12 Student Attendance

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May 11, 2022 - In early March, the California Department of Education published the first report of 2021-22 attendance data. In this post, we provide background on the calculation of school attendance, describe findings from the updated data, and discuss a few key issues to provide greater context for the findings.

Climate Change Impacts Across California - K-12 Education

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April 5, 2022 - This report focuses on how a changing climate is affecting early childhood and K‑12 education, and key issues the Legislature faces in responding to those impacts. This is one of a series of reports summarizing how climate change will impact different sectors across California.

Climate Change Impacts Across California - Crosscutting Issues

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April 5, 2022 - This report contains four primary sections: (1) a description of the five key climate hazards affecting California, (2) the major ways those hazards impact sectors across the state, (3) significant existing state‑level efforts underway to address climate change impacts, and (4) key issues for the Legislature to consider in response to these impacts. This is one of a series of reports summarizing how climate change will impact different sectors across California.

Overview of Child Care and Expanded Learning Programs for School-Age Children

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March 2, 2022 - Presented to: Senate Education Committee

The 2022-23 Budget: College and Career Proposals

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February 23, 2022 - In his January budget, the Governor proposes $2 billion in one-time funding across three programs to increase college and career readiness among high school students. In this post, we provide background on the state’s programs, describe and assess the Governor’s proposals, and provide our recommendations to the Legislature.

The 2022-23 Budget: Educator Workforce Proposals

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February 23, 2022 - In this post, we provide background on teacher shortages and recruitment, describe the Governor’s proposals related to these issues, assess these proposals, and offer associated recommendations.

The 2022-23 Budget: California College Guidance Initiative

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February 22, 2022 - This post provides background on the California College Guidance Initiative, describes the Governor’s proposal for the program, and offers an associated assessment and recommendation to the Legislature.

The 2022-23 Budget: Expanded Learning Programs

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February 16, 2022 - In his January budget, the Governor proposes an additional $3.6 billion for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and $149 million for the state’s longstanding expanded learning programs. In this post, we provide background on the state’s expanded learning programs, describe and assess the Governor’s proposal, and provide our recommendations to the Legislature.