The Education of Arnold Schwarzenegger

How is the education allotment determined?

· Every summer the California Legislature and governor decide how much money will go to kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) public education and how it will be divided among school districts, county offices of education, and the California Department of Education. Although some changes occur each year, the system has looked about the same for more than 25 years.

· Each school district develops its own budget and pays all its expenses, from teacher salaries to energy costs.

· As of the early 2000s, almost two-thirds of the money was for general purposes, and almost 30% was earmarked for special purposes or categories of students.

· Each district has its own particular combination of federal, state, and local sources. The amount depends on:

· the average number of students attending school over the school year (average daily attendance or ADA);

· the general purpose money the district receives for each student (its “revenue limit”), and

· the support for specific programs for which it qualifies (“categorical aid”).

Source: The Basics of California’s School Finance System by EdSource www.edsource.org

What did the Governor and Legislature borrow and how has that impacted allocations for 2006-07?

· That deal was made after the governor took office in fall 2003, as he struggled to balance his first budget. Schools agreed to give up $2 billion they were owed under voter-approved spending formulas in return for his pledge that all the money would be restored in coming years.

· A year later, the state still had a deficit, and Schwarzenegger kept the reduction in place. Now, as the 2006-07 budget is readied, educators say the tab has grown to $5.5 billion — the amount schools would get if they had been fully funded since 2004.

From the Los Angeles Times: Gov. to Start Repaying Schools, By Evan Halper and Duke Helfand

Times Staff Writers http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-schools4jan04,1,599237.story?coll=la-news-learning

How does California compare with other states in education spending and results?

· Certainly, a few states—including Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey—stand out for acting on what both common sense and simple morality dictate: They provide more dollars to students in the most need. Unfortunately, California cannot be counted among their ranks. In our state, districts serving the most low-income students and students of color have fewer state and local dollars to spend than districts serving the least.

Source: California’s Hidden Teacher Spending Gap: How State and District Budgeting Practices Shortchange Poor and Minority Students and Their Schools, by The Education Trust—West www.edtrustwest.org

In 2013-14, 61 percent of California’s school-age population is expected to be Latino and black, and a sizable minority is likely to be English language learners. Many of these children currently have lower levels of educational attainment at all grade levels.

Source: California Budget Project: Making Dollars Make Sense www.cbp.org

The Achievement Gap

· 10% of low-income 4th graders are proficient in reading, compared to 34% of non-poor students. California ranks 26th in the nation on this measure.

· 12% of African-American 4th graders are proficient in reading, compared to 34% of white students. California ranks 9th out of 40 states that had data available on this measure.

· 11% of Latino 4th graders are proficient in reading, compared to 34% of white students. California ranks 18th out of 36 states with data available on this measure.

Standards and Student Performance Measurements

· Among 4th graders, 39% of students are proficient on the state reading test, while 21% are proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. With an 18-point gap, California ranks 6th in the nation on the disparity between state and national performance measures for 4th grade reading.

· In math, 45% of 4th graders achieve proficiency on the state math test, compared to 25% who do so on the NAEP. With a 20-point gap, California ranks 11th in the nation on this measure.

· Among 8th graders, 30% of students are proficient on the state reading test, while 22% achieve proficiency on the NAEP. With an 8-point gap, California ranks 5th out of 47 states with data available on this measure.

· In math, 30% of 8th graders achieve proficiency on the state math test, compared to 22% who do so on the NAEP. With an 8-point gap, California ranks 11th out of 47 states with data available.

The High-School-to-College Pipeline

· The High-School-to-College Pipeline The state’s high-school graduation rate is 67%. California ranks 37th in the nation on this measure.

· 32% of high-school graduates are academically ready for college. California ranks 32nd in the nation on this measure.

· 48% of high-school graduates enroll in college the fall after they graduate. California ranks 44th in the nation on this measure.

· 50% of college freshmen earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years. California ranks 29th in the nation on this measure.

Source: Education: The State We’re In is a companion to Getting Smarter, Becoming Fairer: A Progressive

Education Agenda for a Stronger Nation, the report of the Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our Future

National Task Force on Public Education, the Center for American Progress www.americanprogress.org and the Institute for America’s Future www.ourfuture.org

What will the impact be on California of federal cuts to education?

Projected 2006 federal budget cuts to key domestic discretionary programs, assuming House-passed appropriations levels, plus 2% across-the-board cuts (source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities):

· Total Elementary and Secondary Education: $158.3 million.

· Education for the Disadvantaged: $81.5 million.

· Special Education: $24.3 million.

· School Improvement: $49.0 million.

· Vocational and Adult Education: $10 million.

Source: Potential Impacts on California From Federal Spending Reductions Contemplated by House Republicans http://www.democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a46/pdf/FederalfundingCutsFactSheet.pdf

What portion of the California General Fund budget goes to Education?

· Proposition 98's (education) share of overall General Fund tax proceeds averages about 43 percent. As a percentage of new (additional) General Fund tax revenues, Proposition 98 gets approximately 54 percent, depending upon the factors and tests. For example, for an increase in General Fund tax proceeds of $100 million, Proposition 98 would get about $54 million on the average.

Source: California Department of Finance State Budget Section, Frequently Asked Questions http://www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/BUD_DOCS/faqs.asp#8

What portion of state tax money goes to schools...what about local taxes?

· The federal government contributes about 12% of the K–12 budget, up from about 8% in 1996–97.

· About 55% of the funds are from the state—generated by business and personal income taxes, sales taxes, and some special taxes.

· Local property taxes are about 25% of all funds. The Legislature and governor determine what part of these revenues go to schools.

· The tiny line near the bottom of the column—less than 2% of the total, or about $130 per student—is from the California Lottery.

· Miscellaneous local revenues are about 7% of the total. These come from a variety of sources, including special elections for parcel taxes (needs a two-thirds vote for approval); contributions from foundations, businesses, and individuals; food service sales, and interest on investments.

Source: The Basics of California’s School Finance System by EdSource www.edsource.org

Are all kids and schools getting the same amount of money - if not why not and what is being done about it?

· In our state, districts serving the most low-income students and students of color have fewer state and local dollars to spend than districts serving the least.

· These funding gaps between school districts—inter-district funding discrepancies—have been the subject of much debate and numerous lawsuits. Less attention, however, has been paid to the funding gaps separating schools within the same school district. These hidden gaps compound the injustices facing low-income and minority students. First, we spend less in the districts in which poor and minority students are concentrated. Then, we make matters worse by spending significantly less on the schools within those districts that serve the most such students.

· California spends $301 cost-adjusted1 dollars less per student in its high-poverty districts than in its districts with the fewest number of low-income students.

· California’s funding gap between its high- and low-minority districts is even greater: $573 cost adjusted dollars per student, or $472,152 less money every year for the average high-minority high school.

· A full 91 percent of California’s highest-poverty middle school math classes do not have teachers with a major or even a minor in mathematics.

Source: California’s Hidden Teacher Spending Gap: How State and District Budgeting Practices Shortchange Poor and Minority Students and Their Schools, by The Education Trust—West www.edtrustwest.org