Governor's Revised Budget Continues to Invest in Education with $83 Billion
Increase in Education Funding Helps Schools Recover from Recession Cuts
SACRAMENTO, Calif., (May 15, 2015) – The California School Boards Association (CSBA) is pleased that Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal continues to invest in education with $83 billion, as it helps K-12 schools that are still recovering from budget cuts during the recession.
“We are pleased with California’s economic recovery and that it’s generating more money for education. It’s important to note that education needs a sustained investment, especially as schools are recovering from the recession and now have additional expectations and costs, including LCFF, new state standards, and increased employee benefit costs,” said Jesús M. Holguín, CSBA President and board member in the Moreno Valley Unified School District. “CSBA remains committed to working closely with the Governor and Legislature to protect the integrity of Proposition 98, advocate for a sustained investment in K-12 education, and eliminate the reserve cap.”
The Governor announced an additional increase of $2.1 billion for LCFF over the January budget to move all districts to approximately 60 percent of their LCFF targets. “CSBA is pleased with the continued investment in LCFF so school district and county board members can invest in programs to close achievement gaps and improve student outcomes,” Holguín said.
CSBA is also supportive of the increase in one-time allocations – from $1.1 billion to $3.5 billion – for local educational agencies to use in order to meet local priorities and ensure successful implementation of the state standards and administration of the exams. “However, we remain concerned about the continued practice of the state paying off mandate claims and investing in new costs associated with state standards with the same dollars.”
Currently, California schools are nowhere near the per-pupil funding levels of the top 10 states, as California has a high cost-of-living, and is implementing world-class standards and new assessments, and investing in technology infrastructure upgrades. “Good things are happening in California’s public schools, such as increased graduation rates. In order to meet the needs of students and the expectations of our communities, additional investments in education is appreciated, as much as it is needed,” said Holguín.
About CSBA
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California School Boards Association (CSBA) is the non-profit education association representing the elected officials who govern public school districts and county offices of education. With a membership of nearly 1,000 educational agencies statewide, CSBA brings together school district governing boards and county boards of education to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state’s more than 6 million school-age children. CSBA provides policy resources and training to members, and represents the statewide interests of public education through legal, political legislative, community and media advocacy.
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