Compromises Reached on School Funding Reform
Read EdSource Today's coverage of compromise on Gov. Brown's school finance reform plan.
- Adult ed, regional occupational center advocates satisfied with budget deal – for now
- June 13, 2013 - Early childhood advocates cheered by $55M in restored funding
- June 13, 2013 - Foster youth win big in California’s new budget
- June 13, 2013 - Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead
- June 12, 2013 - Adult ed, regional occupational centers, partnership academies get reprieve
- June 12, 2013 - It’s a deal: Brown, top lawmakers raise base funding in finance formula
- June 11, 2013
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Policy Updates from School Services of California
EdSource and School Services have joined forces to help you stay up to date on
recent policy actions and their effect on local K–12 schools and community colleges. On this page you'll find links to
recent articles normally provided exclusively to School Services clients. We
appreciate School Services' generosity in making this material available to
EdSource to help inform the work of California's education stakeholders.
NOTE: The views expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of EdSource or its board of directors. School Services is responsible for the accuracy of linked content.
Founded in 1975, School Services of California has served most of California's school districts, county offices, and community colleges in meeting their management, governance, and fiscal responsibilities. The effective administration of California's public schools has always been the firm's primary mission and the company has played an integral role in the development and implementation of education policy at both the state and local levels. To learn more, visit sscal.org.
On this page:
K–12 Education (K–12)
Governor Clarifies Provisions of Education Trailer Bill ~ July 8, 2011
Governor Jerry Brown signed a number of Trailer Bills to complete the enactment of the State Budget for 2011-12. This SSC article offers a brief analysis of how the new laws may impact education funding.
2011-12 State Budget Adopted by the Legislature and Sent to the Governor ~ June 29, 2011
This article summarizes the K–12 education components of the 2011–12 budget that the Legislature approved on June 28, 2011 and that Gov. Brown is expected to sign.
SSC Commentary—Once Again, the State Budget Puts Education at Risk ~ June 29, 2011
The staff of School Services of California strongly criticize policy decisions affecting K–12 education in the 2011–12 budget package.
The Legislature Ignores Constitutional Requirement for Proposition 98 Suspension ~ June 16, 2011
The Governor vetoed the spending plan that the Legislature adopted yesterday, June 15, 2011, saying that it is not a balanced solution and citing, among other things, that it "...contains legally questionable maneuvers." SSC believes that one of the maneuvers the Governor is referring to involves the Legislature's treatment of Proposition 98 and funding for schools.
The Legislature Approves a 2011-12 State Budget ~ June 15, 2011
On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, the Senate (and later, the Assembly) passed Assembly Bill (AB) 98 (Committee on Budget), the State Budget for 2011-12, on a largely party-line vote. Senate Democrats who spoke on the measure emphasized the importance of meeting the June 15 constitutional deadline to pass the Budget. At the same time, they acknowledged the shortcomings of the spending plan, the cuts that have already been enacted, and the unfortunate choices that had to be made in the absence of additional revenues. One Democratic Senator called the spending plan "the least hurtful option" available.
Governor’s May Revision—Flat Funding ~ May 16, 2011
In his May Revision, the Governor emphasizes that schools have borne a disproportionate share of cuts during the past few years, and an all-cuts Budget would require a suspension of Proposition 98, which he is not willing to do.
Alternative Budget Scenario for Education Outlined ~ April 15, 2011
On April 14, 2011, the California Senate Budget and Fiscal Committee discussed how public education could be affected if the current budget deficit is closed entirely through budget cuts rather than a combination of cuts and tax extensions, as Governor Brown sought.
No June Election—When Will We Know What to Plan For? ~ April 5, 2011
This article discusses education-funding scenarios in light of the fact that California voters will not be asked in June 2011 to approve tax extensions to help shore up the state’s budget deficit. It also predicts when the current information void will be closed and advises school districts to consider certain actions in the meantime.
Ask SSC...How Far Back in Time Could We Go? ~ March 29, 2011
If $5 billion is cut from California’s K–12 education spending in 2011–12 because recent tax increases are not extended according to Governor Brown’s budget proposal, school districts could be expected to educate students with 1999–2000 funding levels while facing 2011–12 costs.
Budget Negotiations Suspended ~ March 29, 2011
On March 29, 2011, Governor Brown announced that he had stopped budget negotiations with Republican members of the Legislature because of a lack of progress. Having given up on direct negotiations with Republican legislators, the governor indicated that he will “speak directly to Californians” and put forth “honest and real solutions to our budget crisis.”
Is It Time to Revise the SSC Dartboard? An Editorial by SSC Staff ~ March 28, 2011
This highly substantive article discusses the status of state budget negotiations, including the politics involved, and different education funding scenarios based on whether the tax extensions are approved.
Impasse ~ March 7, 2011
Attempts by Gov. Brown and Republican legislators to agree on a budget for 2011-12 have stalled.
Conference Committee Completes Budget Actions ~ March 4, 2011
The committee formed to develop a compromise budget plan between the California Senate and Assembly has reached decisions about key components of the K-12 education portion.
LAO Discusses Pension Reform ~ February 18, 2011
The Legislative Analyst's Office released a video addressing public employee pension reform, encompassing Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS), and local government pension systems. It also makes some references to retiree health benefits.
Devil's In the Details: Governor Releases Education Trailer Bill ~ February 3, 2011
This memo summarizes the legislation with the implementation details for Governor Brown’s 2011–12 budget proposals. School Services of California finds that the proposed legislation is in keeping with early outlines from the governor and Department of Finance.
How Has Education Fared Over the Years? ~ January 27, 2011
This article discusses the gap between the funding that California’s school districts should have received during the past 15 years according to statute and the amount they actually received.
Community College Update (CCU)
Conference Committee Takes Action on Community College Items ~ March 2, 2011
The committee formed to develop a compromise budget plan between the California Senate and Assembly has acted upon the major items affecting the community college portion.
Work Already Underway to Implement Transfer Bill ~ October 28, 2010
Although the new transfer pathway required by this year’s historic transfer bill, SB 1440, does not become effective until fall 2011, efforts are already underway to assure the smooth implementation of that bill. This article describes the two major developments.
The 2010-11 State Budget and Community Colleges ~ October 22, 2010
This article details the impact of the 2010-11 state budget on funding for community colleges.