Governor Gray Davis has proposed a state budget for 2000-2001 that would provide K-12 schools with just $257.4 million above the constitutionally required Proposition 98 minimum.
Regular and categorical programs would receive funding to cover student enrollment growth and a 2.84 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), but no "deficit reduction" appropriations to make up for past shortfalls in school funding.
Under terms of the proposal, California per-pupil spending would remain near the bottom of the 50 states, at least $1,000 below the national average.
During both his budget address and his earlier State of the State message, Davis reaffirmed that public education would remain his top priority.
"We applaud the governor's continued attention to public education," reacted CTA President Wayne Johnson. "The proposed budget, however, does not provide the funding California's public schools need to move even incrementally closer to our short-term goal of matching the national average. In addition, the proposal would not allow local schools - including teachers in the classroom - to have a voice in how the bulk of the funds should be spent. We will work closely with the governor and lawmakers in the months ahead to ensure that the budget that is eventually adopted more accurately meets the needs of our students."
The governor's unveiling of his budget in January begins a process slated to end in June. In May, the governor is expected to release an updated budget proposal that would include any new revenues. Many observers believe the state may have an additional $3 billion to spend by that time.
The state constitution requires lawmakers to modify these proposals and send the governor their budget bill by June 15. The governor has until June 30 to make cuts and sign the final version into law.
The governor's proposal would provide per-student funding of $6,313 in 2000-2001, up from $6,045 in 1999-2000. The increase of $268 amounts to a 4.4 percent boost.
CTA analysts caution that a funding increase at that level would allow California to slip further below the national average as other states boost their per-student spending in the coming year.
For its part, CTA is seeking to qualify for the November ballot an initiative that would increase per-student spending to the national average within five years.
At the same time, CTA is working closely with lawmakers - regardless of their party affiliation - for legislative budget increases to further that funding goal.
Among the governor's proposed education initiatives are three major ones that would cost about $898.4 million. They include new proposals to recruit and train teachers, to provide incentives to increase student performance, and to underwrite the cost of computers.
A cornerstone of the governor's incentives for student performance is his proposal to offer merit scholarships to students who score within the top 10 percent statewide or within the top 5 percent of their schools on the new STAR exam. (It may not, however, help deserving students in less affluent schools where scores are lower.)
The governor's plan would also forgive college loans for students who earn teacher certification and agree to teach for five years in schools where students score within the bottom 50 percent on standardized testing.
In addition, the governor offered a range of fiscal incentives to fully qualified teachers working in these schools, most of them for teachers new to these schools.
The proposed budget would provide the state's community college system with funding increases for student enrollment growth and inflation, as well as for a special excellence program. The colleges would get $105.7 million or a 3 percent increase to keep pace with enrollment and $103.1 million or 2.84 percent for COLA. Another $25 million would be earmarked for Partnership for Excellence.
Other appropriations include $10 million for scheduled maintenance and repairs and $21.8 million for such programs as the Extended Opportunities Programs and Services, the Puente Project, Disabled Student Programs and Services, telecommunications and technology expansion.
Following are some of the major programmatic funding items:
- $668.7 million for a Proposition 98 COLA ($654.9 million for districts and $13.8 million for county offices).
- $319.1 million for Proposition 98 statutory growth ($292.4 million for districts and $26.7 million for county offices).
- $171.2 million for growth ($64.7 million) and COLA ($106.5 million) for categorical programs, adult education, ROC/Ops, instructional materials, and other various education programs.
- $112 million for the governor's Merit Scholarship Program to recognize students who score well on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Examination.
- $164 million in one-time Proposition 98 funds for the Digital High School program.
- $84.7 million in Proposition 98 funds for a special education COLA.
- $61.9 million in Proposition 98 general funding appropriations to provide a rate increase for remedial summer school and supplemental instructional programs.
- $1.56 billion for class size reduction in grades K-3 and 9. (The K-3 rate increases to $868 for full-day programs, $434 for half-day programs. The 9th grade rate increases to $170 per pupil per subject.)
- $53 million for certain teachers attending certain programs at the University of California (including the Math and English Subject Matter Projects, Reading Professional Development Institutes, English Language Learner Institutes, Math Institutes, Algebra Institutes, and Pre-algebra and Algebra Academies).
- $52.9 million for the Teachers as a Priority Program that focuses on increasing the number of fully credentialed teachers at low-performing schools.
- $36 million for a prior-year base correction for special education.
- $166 million to fully fund the local match for deferred maintenance.
- $19.7 million for planning grants for a second cohort of schools in the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program.
- $20.8 million for teacher internships to provide alternative pathways into the profession.
- $18.5 million for Proposition 98 summer school growth and COLA.
- $21.2 million for intensive math instruction academies for pupils in grades 7 and 8.
- $16.8 million in one-time Proposition 98 funds for 1999-2000 special education deficits related to enrollment increases.
- $15.4 million to fund and expand the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program.
- $15 million to provide stipends to teachers who obtain National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certification.
- $11 million to increase by 1,000 the number of persons who can earn loan forgiveness by teaching in rural or low-income areas or certain subject fields.
- $9.4 million to fund five regional recruitment centers to help low-performing schools attract fully qualified teachers.
- A proposal to suspend the statutory earnings limitation for retired teachers who return to the classroom (currently, they can earn just $19,600 annually from a school district unless they fill a vacancy created by class size reduction). In order to do this, teachers would have to have retired prior to Jan. 1, 1999.
