via email/in order received
from ESEA Cabinet Report
May 13, 2014
No major improvements for schools in May Revise
by Tom Chorneau(Calif.) Focusing his attention and much of the $2.4 billion in unanticipated state revenue in other directions, Gov. Jerry Brown offered a revised education budget Tuesday with few major changes from what he proposed in January.
Brown offered no new augmentation to help with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards beyond minimal funding for technology improvements. He made no suggestions about a new statewide facilities bond or a set aside to promote early childhood education.
Brown did propose spending more to reduce the teachers’ pension obligation while maintaining his commitment to reducing the funding gap as outlined in his Local Control Funding Formula.
After that, Brown’s revised May budget provides few new ideas or initiatives for the state’s six million K-12 students.
Still, the governor called his proposal something the state should be happy about.
“This May Revision is good news for California,” said Brown at a morning news conference in Sacramento. “It shows that California can afford to provide health care to many more people, while at the same time paying its debts and shoring up the long-troubled teachers’ retirement system.”
After negotiating an agreement last week with legislative leaders over a new rainy day fund, it comes as no surprise that Brown wants much of the state’s surplus to be set aside. He’s proposed using $1.6 billion to make the final payment on the Economic Recovery Bonds from the Schwarzenegger years; and $1.6 billion for the rainy day fund itself.
Brown’s plan to shore up the California State Teachers’ Retirement System called for increased contributions coming not just from the state but also school districts and the teachers themselves. Combined, he would raise $450 million the first year, which would grow $5 billion annually.
The Proposition 98 guarantee for 2014-15 would grow to $60.9 billion, up from an adjusted $57.8 billion in 2012-13.
Brown’s LCFF contribution next year stands at $4.5 billion.
He noted that the Legislature provided schools with $1.25 billion in this year’s budget to help with the cost of transitioning to the Common Core. His May revision offers $26.7 million to help create a high speed network for connecting districts and school sites engaged in the new computer-based assessment system.
The governor also highlighted his plan for streamlining the independent student system. The plan is intended as a boost to online education and eliminates the requirement that teachers and students meet weekly for status updates and clears away some of the administrative complication districts have in getting state support.
As he proposed in January, Brown wants to spend $742 million to clear away money owed to schools as a result of prior budget deferrals.
This story will be updated for Wednesday publication.
from Early Edge California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2014
Contact: Molly Tafoya, Early Edge California
C: 808.256.7064, mtafoya@earlyedgecalifornia.org
Early Edge California President Responds to Governor’s Revised Budget
California Has the Opportunity to Provide High-quality Early Learning to All Kids
Oakland, CA — Today Governor Jerry Brown released his revised 2014-2015 budget, which included very minor adjustments to State Preschool and child care. Between 2008 and 2012, cuts to child care and development programs in California totaled nearly $1 billion, denying access to more than 110,000 children across the state.
Statement from Deborah Kong, Early Edge California President:
“In a report released today, California was one of five states singled out for meeting fewer than half of 10 quality benchmarks for its state pre-k program. It is clear that California is moving in the wrong direction. But with the state budget, our state has a real opportunity to transform itself from one of the nation’s biggest underperformers to one of its biggest winners when it comes to providing high-quality early learning for our children from birth to age 5.
And the polls tell us that this is a high priority for Californians. Nine out of 10 voters in California believe preschool is important for future academic success, according to a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll. Additionally, 73% of California adults support including pre-k for all 4 year olds in the 2014-15 California budget.
We still have a lot of work to do to provide more children, from birth to age 5, with higher quality experiences. The governor and Legislature have a historic opportunity to make California a leader in education in these crucial weeks of the budget discussions and we look forward to continuing to work with them on this important issue. We urge them to make the wise investment in our future by making early learning a top priority.”
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Early Edge California is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure all children have the early experiences necessary to be successful learners by the end of 3rd grade, setting them on a path to college and career readiness.
from Children's Defense Fund California
For Immediate Release:
May 13, 2014
Contact: Michele Stillwell-Parvensky, msp@childrensdefense.org, (510) 663-1294 – work, (303) 489-4762 – cell
Governor's Revised Budget Fails to Repair Gaps in Social Safety Net for Children and Families
Sacramento, CA – Michele Stillwell-Parvensky, Senior Policy and Communications Associate for Children’s Defense Fund-California, released the following statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s May Revision of the 2014-15 state budget:
“While California’s economy and fiscal outlook continues to improve, the state’s child poverty rate remains unacceptably high and gaping holes in the social safety net persist. Unfortunately, the Governor’s revised budget fails to use new revenue to repair the tattered safety net and provide the critical support services and investments children need to survive and thrive.
During the recession, Governor Brown and the California Legislature balanced the budget on the backs of the state’s most vulnerable children and families, by cutting basic needs grants for families, eliminating child care slots and ending successful health programs for children. Now, California’s policy leaders have the opportunity to do right by our children and protect and invest in essential safety net programs.
With one in four California children living in poverty, it is fiscally and morally irresponsible to leave essential state services at recessionary budget levels. We can, and must, start now to restore critical programs for California’s children and families that have been decimated in recent years. ”
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Children's Defense Fund-California is the California office of the Children's Defense Fund, a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for 40 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. The Children’s Defense Fund champions policies and programs that lift children out of poverty, protect them from abuse and neglect, and ensure their access to health care and a quality education.
Michele Stillwell-Parvensky
Senior Policy and Communications Associate
Children's Defense Fund - California
2201 Broadway, Suite 815
Oakland, CA 94612
p (510) 663-1294 f (510) 663-1783
e mstillwellparvensky@childrensdefense.org
from California Charter School Association
Capitol Update
May 13, 2014
May Revision Offers Modest Increases to 2014-15 Funding Plan for Education
On May 13, 2014, Governor Brown released the May Revision to his budget proposal for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The May Revision updates the budget proposal based on current economic information from when the budget was proposed in January. Overall, the May Revision to the Governor's budget contains an increase of $2.4 billion in all state revenues, and a net increase of $242 million in Proposition 98 funding over the January proposal for 2014-15. Although the revision includes some increases in state funding, the key priorities of the Governor’s January proposal remain in place. The legislature will be working during the next few weeks to enact a final 2014-15 state budget by June 15.
Here are some of the highlights of the May Revision for K-12 education:
The revision provides a net increase in ongoing and one-time funding of $242 for California's schools compared to the January projections. The revised Proposition 98 school funding guarantee is $57.8 billion for 2012-13, $58.3 billion for 2013-14, and $60.9 billion for 2014-15. Last January, the Governor's Budget for 2014-15 contained a number of proposals that would affect K-12 school districts and charter schools. Combined with those proposals, the May Revision contains the following highlights for the 2014-15 budget:
● Maintains proposal for $4.5 billion to continue the phase-in of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which is expected to eliminate 28 percent of the gap toward full implementation of the LCFF. This increase includes funding for a cost of living adjustment of 0.85 percent to the statutory target rates under LCFF.
● Maintains proposal for $5.5 billion in deferral relief for K-12 schools, which would completely eliminate the remaining payment deferrals. The May Revision makes a technical shift between ongoing and one-time funds as the source for the buy-out.
● Maintains $92 million in continued funding for the Charter School Facility Grant Program.
● Minor decrease in funding from $316 million to $307 million to K-12 schools for eligible energy efficiency projects funded by Proposition 39 of 2012.
● Maintains $46.5 million for implementation of the new state testing and accountability system as revised by AB 484 last year.
● Provides $26.7 million in new one-time funds for high-need local education agencies to access the K-12 High Speed Network.
● Provides technical adjustments for average daily attendance, reduction in local property tax revenues, and enrollment growth and cost of living adjustments for selected categorical programs.
● Provides some modifications to the proposal to offer “course-based” independent study and blending learning intended to streamline and expand opportunities to offer these instructional models.
● Proposes a new Proposition 98 “rainy day” fund that would set aside a reserve each year to cover revenues in tough times. Contributions to the reserve would not begin until after all pre-recession cuts to education were restored.
● Proposes a long-term plan to shore up the State Teachers Retirement System beginning with a combined $450 million increase to contributions in the first year from the state, local education agencies and teachers.
CCSA will provide a complete May Revision Budget Brief, and update its LCFF Simulator in the coming days on our website. To review the full May Revision Summary visit: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/
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