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According to California education law, California Education Code, Section 14041, subsection (a), governs this principal apportionment payment by the state controller to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting an additional $5.3 billion from schools through next year -- in addition to an $8.6 billion cut announced in February. California schools near the bottom of per-pupil spending as it is. What gives Schwarzenegger the power to determine using school apportionment for the California general budget? The answer is a series of complicated decisions dating back over 30 years ago.
In 1978, Proposition 13 was passed shifting local real property taxes from the schools to Sacramento for redistribution. This was done to create equity within varying socio-economic areas in California. However, Proposition 13 has left the door wide open for the governor to back fill California's general budget with this tax revenue.
Despite the passing of Proposition 98, a school fund guarantee that passed several years ago, Schwarzenegger has used this fund as leverage to use federal aid to back fill spending from this fund to schools. In other words, instead of the local school districts controlling the money and spending, it is in the hands of California legislators. According to John Rogers, an education professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, the state controls and distributes about 75% of school's budgets.
What affects can California schools and students expect for the fall when students go back to school? It's a long list of cuts. Although many schools have lobbied for flexibility in spending to redistribute categorical funds (funds that can only be used for a particular purpose), there is little to no movement in this regard.
The projected next two years will be a trying time for education. The Center on Budget and Policy warned the public about education, "... state governments reeling from a free fall in tax revenues, have run out of tricks. And, Americans are about to feel it ..."
Many education business sectors have been hit hard as well, including the school construction industry that boomed in the last ten years from school improvement bond measures. Half of the money from the bond measures is required to come from the state, which California can no longer afford to contribute this apportionment, causing contruction companies to become bankrupt. http://www.examiner.com/x-5067-Education-in-the-News-Examiner~y2009m7d2-Californias-financial-education-crisis-trickles-down-causing-contruction-nightmare
As far as the affects on the local school districts - here is what a small school district (about 15,000 students) can expect to see this fall when they return to school. To start with, school districts will see a $7 million dollar shortfall over the next two years on top of the already cut budget from December 2008. That is a $3.5 million cut starting this fall spread over a year for a small school district. To put it in perspective, only $1.3 million is needed to reinstate the teachers that have already laid off for the next two years.
On top of the $3.5 million in cuts in 2009-2010 for this school district, there will be no flexibility in categorical spending. These cuts will be most-likely universal in all school districts, but the following specific cuts are profiled from one small school district (about 15,000 students: 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools) in Southern California:
- A universal spending freeze on materials, teacher enrichment conferences, equipment and supplies.
- Precautionary pink slips (lay off notices) will be served to classified and certified staff as well as management employed by the district.
Comments
I'd like to correct your statement that "In 1978, Proposition 13 was passed shifting local real property taxes from the schools to Sacramento for redistribution." This is a myth that has been perpetuated by school officials and the media.
The way California's schools are funded is actually the result of a 1971 California Supreme Court decision, Serrano v. Priest. In this equal protection case, the court ruled that it was unconstitutional for communities to rely on property tax revenues to determine spending on local schools because those districts with high value property could afford to spend much more per pupil than those with low value property. Since low value property was found to often coincide with minority neighborhoods, the case also had a civil rights aspect. To meet the Court's requirements, the Legislature was compelled to step in with a uniform spending formula, to which the courts gave final approval in 1982.
Jack Dean, Editor
PensionTsunami.com
Dear Mr. Dean: thanks for your comment. Serrano Priest and proposition 13 are one and the same. Serrano Priest was the impetus of proposition 13. Thank you for your comment. Much luck. Ericha Parks
Cutting Adavanced Placement programs? I do not understand why that can be cut, but not special ed. I see them to be equally as important.
This is what happens when during years of bounty US state governments spend money like water going over Niagara Falls. They NEVER made provisions for lean years. NEVER, NEVER! In this respect US State governments are rather ignorant! You reap what you sow - no provisions for lean years! Will US governments
learn from this. NO! NO! In recent years US state governments lack the necessary wisdom and intelligence to act right!! They want unnatural gay marriage to take over the nation and ruin the age old traditional moral code of our children and the states also sanction the killing of millions of babies before they are born with abortions. You reap what you sow! Wait until the next major disaster hits such as a pandemic or earthquake, then let the government leaders tell us how great gay sex is
and how great are state sanctioned abortions. God help this wayward nation! It stinks with murderous behavior and promiscuity to high heaven where God the Father will let us reap what we sow!
Arnold is incompetent and he needs to resign. He cut the car tax in 1993 which created a 6 billion dollar a year loss in revenue that we are paying the price for for today.
I would rather pay higher taxes than ruin the schools.
When does Arnold's term end?! CA will be Mississipi by then. Maybe you morons who voted for Arnold should move out of our state.
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