Recent funding increases not enough to offset long-term challenges schools face

Despite record education funding levels, fiscal challenges remain, according to a fact sheet released Sept. 28 by the Public Policy Institute of California. State K-12 funding increased nearly 50 percent between 2017–18 and 2021–22, and with state, local and federal funding combined, public schools received […]

New state policy requires high school seniors to apply for FAFSA

By The California Student Aid Commission In California’s 2021–22 state budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature included a groundbreaking new policy that local educational agencies, including charter schools, must confirm that their graduating high school seniors complete an application for financial aid (or an […]

District leaders want deadline extension to spend federal COVID funds

Without an extension to the deadline by which districts must spend American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, officials say they will have to scale back pandemic investments while students are still in desperate need of additional academic and social-emotional supports. A majority of school superintendents surveyed […]

School leaders share the inside scoop on COVID-19 relief aid in new report

The state and federal government have provided local educational agencies in California with historic sums of funding to help address the most critical challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This money continues to be essential for school districts and county offices of education to address health […]

National data emphasizes need for sustained mental health supports and training

Many students are not receiving adequate health education and services needed for healthy development, despite widespread desire expressed among education officials to address these issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest School Health Profiles. For instance, nationwide, 90 percent schools worked […]

District leaders from across country seek answers on possible ARP relief spending extension

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent Aug. 29, 683 school district leaders from around the country, including 32 from California, asked for a reply to a previous letter requesting more time to spend American Rescue Plan funds. In the prior […]

Student homelessness subject of new policy brief

An already increasing number of K-12 students in California experiencing homelessness paired with a global pandemic that rocked the financial foundation of countless families is reason for concern, according to a policy brief from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. “State of Crisis: Understanding […]