ELA update: CSBA and partners file appeal in Prop. 98 lawsuit
Published: August 14, 2012
On July 27, 2012, CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance, its partner the Association of California School Administrators, and its member districts (San Francisco, Los Angeles and Turlock school districts) filed an appeal challenging the June 1, 2012 Alameda County Superior Court ruling that asserted that the state’s constitution and ballot language do not guarantee a certain level of base funding for schools under Proposition 98.
The lawsuit – CSBA vs. State of California – was originally filed by CSBA and its partners in September 2011 to challenge the 2011-12 budget action, specifically the Proposition 98 calculation and appropriation to schools.
The June 2012 Superior Court judge affirmed the state’s position – that there is nothing in the constitution that prohibits the state from redirecting funds away from schools. The ruling affirmed that the manipulation of the Proposition 98 guarantee was not unconstitutional.
The appeal was filed to reaffirm the educational communities’ dismay over the Legislature’s continued efforts to avoid funding public education – despite the will of the people to prioritize education funding through the passage of Proposition 98 which, if honored, provides that when funds are redirected out of the Proposition 98 guarantee, other funds are redirected in to hold education harmless.
To date, California schools rank 47th out of the 50 states in per-pupil spending. Since 2008, public schools have sustained $20 billion in funding cuts and deferrals.