By CSBA President Dr. Susan Heredia In politics and in life, it’s especially gratifying when you achieve an ambitious goal, overcoming challenges and skepticism along the way. That was the path CSBA took en route to key victories for public schools during this year’s budget […]
Category: Funding & Finance
Funding & Finance
Applications open for federal Clean School Bus Program
By U.S. Senator Alex Padilla The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has made it possible for schools across the United States to offer clean energy school buses as a transportation option through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. EPA will provide $5 billion over […]
Where’s the money? New CSBA report provides new insight into how LEAs spent federal COVID funds
More than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures in March 2020, the federal government has provided billions in relief funding to aid local educational agencies in the United States to continue educating students through distance learning, implement virus-mitigation measures to aid […]
CSBA webinar gives local context to COVID relief spending report
CSBA hosted a webinar on July 12 to discuss its new report, Unprecedented Times, Unprecedented Responses: An Analysis of Federal COVID-19 Relief Fund Spending in California Public Schools. District leaders detailed their experiences during the event and CSBA staff shared how board members can effectively […]
New report analyzes the legacy of Prop 13 on education funding and more
In the more than 40 years since voters approved Proposition 13 in response to rising property taxes, the 1978 initiative has contributed to inadequate funding for public schools, as well as a widening wealth gap and acute housing shortage, according to a new report. “Unjust […]
Budget trailer bills respond to CSBA advocacy
Follow-up budget legislation released this weekend revealed the details of the final deal reached by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature. While legislators did fulfill their constitutional duty to pass a budget bill by June 15 with Senate Bill 154, miles remained between the Legislature’s and […]
California community schools funding is front and center
Community schools have a bright future in California. The state plans to invest $3 billion in the proven concept over the next seven years, including $649 million in community school grants recently approved by the State Board of Education and California Department of Education. This […]
School funding report cites pension costs, declining enrollment and more as pressing challenges
Several years of sustained spending increases improved student outcomes, but cost pressures in schools affect the efficiency of funding, according to new research from the Public Policy Institute of California. “Understanding the Effects of School Funding” highlights how test scores, graduation rates, college attendance and […]
Assembly and Senate come to budget proposal agreement
On June 1, the Assembly and Senate announced their response to the Governor’s May Budget Revision. This announcement reflects the Legislature’s stance as they begin their negotiations with the Gov. Gavin Newsom on the 2022–23 state budget. The following is a breakdown of the Legislature’s […]
Policy brief lays out resources for rural schools in wake of COVID, wildfire disruptions
The digital divide, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, lack of community health supports, school staffing shortages and increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires are some of the most prevalent challenges facing rural school districts in California. The policy brief “Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: How New Funds […]