Current Budget
The official start of the 2010-11 budget cycle comes on the heels of a turbulent year when policymakers repeatedly cut funding for K–14 education as part of their overall budget solution. And based on a projected current-year deficit of $6.3 billion from the independent Legislative Analyst's Office, there may be more cuts ahead.
Here are some resources to help you understand and explain the governor's budget proposal and this year's budget debates:
Analysis:
- Governor’s Proposals for the 2010-11 State Budget and K-12 Education ~ January 9, 2010 School Services of California provides a detailed analysis of the Governor's budget proposal for education that puts it in the context of California's overall budget. And, though the governor proclaimed in his State-of-the-State address that education funding would be protected, SSC shows that the budget proposal actually contains reductions for K–12 schools.
- Governor's Budget Proposal for 2010-11 ~ January 8, 2010 Strategic Education Services' memo on the governor’s budget proposal for 2010–11 gives an overview of the proposed budget and describes his proposals for K–12 education, community colleges, and child care programs.
- The 2010-11 Budget: Overview of the Governor’s Budget January 12, 2010 An analysis of the governor's budget proposal by the independent Legislative Analyst's Office.
What's Next:
- In February, districts begin to develop their budgets for the coming year as the Legislature begins hearings on the budget.
- By March 1st, districts are required to notify principals if they are likely to be reassigned to the classroom.
- By March 15th, districts must send preliminary layoff notices to teachers. (More about teacher layoffs.)
More Information and Context:
- For the latest news, policy documents, and analyses on school finance, please see our News & Resources section.
- For information about the funding of K-14 education in the current year, including our 2009-10 school finance updates, please see 2009-10 Funding.
- Need help explaining California's school finance system? Our Budget Basics page lists tools you can use.
Official budget documents, plus helpful analyses and explanations, are regularly available online from the following sources:
- The Department of Finance (DOF) posts the state budget and other official documents at: www.ebudget.ca.gov
- The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office annually provides clear analyses of budget proposals and the final decisions at: www.lao.ca.gov
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The California Budget Project (CBP), which bills itself as "a source of nonpartisan information on policies important to low- and middle-income Californians," posts regular analyses of the budget as a whole at: www.cbp.org