State budget: more money, local control
CSBA prepares to help members with changes
Published: July 1, 2013
California’s new state budget marks the beginning of a new era in K-12 public education under Gov. Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula, and CSBA’s leadership immediately launched into strategic conversations about the implications for school districts and county offices of education. Resources are under development at CSBA to support local governance leaders in understanding and implementing the new formula.
“We appreciate the hard work of the governor and Legislature to design a budget that reflects the priorities of the voters,” CSBA President Cindy Marks said. “The public wants fair funding for its schools and supports local control,” a hallmark of the association’s Governance First campaign.
Marks also praised the $4.3 billion the Legislature allocated through the 2013-14 fiscal year to pay down the deferred school funding of recent years. The new funds will reduce the backlog owed to local educational agencies by nearly half. “Governance teams can now better manage their budgets. Fewer districts will be facing the prospect of insolvency,” said Marks.
However, she added, over the longer term CSBA remains committed to securing full payment of the deferred funding, to ensuring that every district is restored to its 2007-08 funding level, and to making California’s per-student funding more competitive with other states.
The new budget provides a small, partial restoration of early childhood education; a grant program to expand career pathway partnerships; and an allocation plan for energy efficiency and new green energy projects through Proposition 39, the energy efficiency measure voters approved last November.
Another highlight: The budget allocates $1.25 billion to support local implementation of the Common Core State Standards in English-language arts and math, and the computer-aided assessments associated with them. However, Marks noted, the California Department of Education puts the cost of full implementation at $3.1 billion.
“We need a sustained investment in our schools. CSBA is committed to working with the governor and Legislature on long-term funding solutions to enable full implementation of both the Common Core State Standards and the Smarter Balanced assessment system,” Marks said. “CSBA will also continue its commitment to ensure our schools receive adequate long-term funding to support a 21st century educational system.”