On Friday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California state budget. Here are the key education highlights.
- Assumes the Governor’s revenue projections, which provides an overall Proposition 98 funding level of $60.9 billion for 2014-15.
- Reduced deferral payments by $897 million, but included trigger language to make the payment if revenues are sufficient.
- Provides $450 million to pay down the K-14 education mandates backlog, with the intent that monies freed up from this payment be dedicated to implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Includes $26.7 million for the K-12 High Speed Network for improving internet connectivity in our K-12 schools.
- Provides $250 million in one-time funding for career technical education (CTE) through the Career Pathways Trust competitive grant program.
- Approves Supplemental Report Language directing the Department of Finance to report to the Legislature, concurrent with the release of the Governor’s 2015-16 January Budget, with recommendations for future treatment of funding for any former categorical education program, including but not limited to Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROCPs) and Beginning Teacher Support and Assistance (BTSA).
- Increases funding for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) implementation by $250 million above the Governor’s proposed $4.5 billion, additionally, makes the following changes related to LCFF:
o Expands the definition of a necessary small high school for certain high schools for three years.
o Allows the State Board of Education to adopt the LCAP template pursuant to regulations or the Bagley-Keene Act, with specified restrictions.
o Approves trailer bill language to direct the State Board to report to the Legislature by February 1, 2015 on the status and implementation of the LCFF.
o Removes trailer bill language requiring the Department of Education to establish separate resource codes in the California School Accounting Manual (SACS) for local educational agencies to distinguish between LCFF base grants and supplemental and concentration grant funding.
o Approves trailer bill language to require certain school districts serving as a fiscal agent for another school district to pass through funding for induction and training services for beginning teachers.
See previous posts for additional California state budget updates.
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