Fact check: Is California Really Ranked 41st in Education Spending Nationwide?
A January 2018 report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office said California ranked 29th in per-student spending. By contrast, the California Budget & Policy Center’s list from 2017 pegged the state at 41st place. The Budget Center’s analysis accounts for the cost living in each state. That tends to place California at a lower spot in state rankings. Jonathan Kaplan, a senior policy analyst with the California Budget & Policy Center, said accounting for cost of living is important because salaries — which vary by region — are often the largest expense in any education budget.
Presentation
Students’ Unmet Basic Needs
Policy Analyst Amy Rose presented on college students’ unmet need for food and housing affordability at the Community College League of California’s “Affordability, Food and Housing Access Taskforce: Capitol Briefing.”
Report
First Look: Governor’s Inaugural Budget Proposal Includes Bold and Smart Investments, While Maintaining Fiscal Health
This “first look” analysis examines Governor Newsom’s proposed state budget for 2019-20, the state fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2019.
States of Change
“In California, the governor and the legislature have worked together to make consistent progress—to restore our fiscal health, build back programs, prepare for a recession, and strike some major deals on important gaps in our state,” says Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center. “Lives are better today because of that. There’s more money for schools, there’s an Earned Income Tax Credit, there’s a $15 minimum wage, and we’re gradually expanding child care and preschool. But behind that is very deep wage stagnation, global and national, made far worse by a housing affordability crisis.”
Perspectives on Gov. Brown’s Contributions to Education — And What Is Yet to Be Done
“Because English learners comprise more than 1 out of every 5 California students, they should be Governor Newsom’s top education priority. And given that large shares of English learners come from low-income families, Governor Newsom should prioritize policies that address child poverty as a means to improve educational outcomes for all disadvantaged students, including English learners,” says Senior Policy Analyst Jonathan Kaplan of the California Budget & Policy Center.