69ý

Education Funding News in Brief

Spike in Calif. Deficit Raises New Concerns

By Andrew Ujifusa — May 22, 2012 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

California education groups are increasingly worried that even a proposed state tax increase won’t be enough to solve school funding woes, after the state announced that its budget deficit had grown to nearly $16 billion.

When Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, announced a dramatic spike in the deficit this month, he continued to press for protecting K-12 and higher education funding despite the gloomier fiscal numbers.

But education advocacy groups still worry about education spending and expressed concern that even the high-stakes November initiative would not be enough to solve serious fiscal problems for schools.

Gov. Brown’s revised budget proposes a 16 percent hike in K-12 spending, on the assumption that the ballot initiative will pass.

In January, he had projected a $9.2 billion budget deficit for the rest of fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013. However, lower-than-expected state tax revenues so far this year resulted in the budget shortfall growing by $6.5 billion to $15.7 billion.

Mr. Brown announced in his revised budget that he would slash state spending by $8.3 billion to help close the deficit. However, he stressed in a May 14 statement that he would continue to push for protecting K-12 spending. “We can’t balance the budget with cuts alone; that would just further undermine our public schools,” the governor said.

The ballot initiative would raise the income tax by a quarter cent, while taxes would increase on those earning $250,000 or more annually. If it fails, an automatic round of some $6 billion in cuts to public schools will go into effect in January next year.

But in a May 14 statement, Joshua Pechthalt, the president of the California Federation of Teachers, which represents more than 100,000 educators, warned that even a successful ballot initiative should only be part of any funding solution.

He said, “As important as it is to pass a revenue measure in the fall, it doesn’t let the legislature off the hook to find more revenue now.”

And even Gov. Brown’s proposed funding increase would not help districts that have to set their budgets in June, argued Education Trust-West, an education policy research group based in Oakland.

“This strategy will likely lead to additional staff layoffs and cuts in support services. It will also allow districts to slash a total of 15 additional school days, leaving California with the shortest school year in the nation,” the group said in a statement.

A version of this article appeared in the May 23, 2012 edition of Education Week as Spike in Calif. Deficit Raises New Concerns

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Education Funding Gun Violence Takes a Toll. We Need More Support, Principals Tell Congress
At a congressional roundtable, school leaders made an emotional appeal for more funds to help schools recover from gun violence.
5 min read
Principals from the Principals Recovery Network address lawmakers on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Principals address Democratic members of Congress on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Oversight Committee Democrats Press Office
Education Funding ESSER Is Ending. Which Investments Accomplished the Most?
Districts have until Sept. 30 to commit their last round of federal COVID aid to particular expenses.
11 min read
Illustration of falling or declining money with a frustrated man in a suit standing on the edge of a cliff the shape of an arrow dollar sign.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Funding Explainer How One Grant Can Help 69ý Recover From Shootings
69ý can leverage a little-known emergency grant to recover from violence or a natural disaster. Here’s how.
9 min read
Broken piggy bank with adhesive bandage on the table
iStock/Getty
Education Funding A Funding Lifeline for Rural 69ý Is at Risk, and Not for the First Time
Rural schools near national forests rely on dedicated federal funds. But so far, lawmakers haven't renewed them.
7 min read
School bus on rural route, Owens Valley, CA.
iStock/Getty