Categories: Education

Educators in California prepare for battle over school funding

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed revisions to the state budget have sparked outrage among educational leaders across the state, who are calling the cuts to school funding “unconstitutional” and threatening potential litigation.

The proposed cuts involve Proposition 98, a voter-approved mandate that guarantees minimum funding for California TK-12 schools and community colleges. Under Prop 98, schools must receive at least the same amount of funding they received the prior year. However, Newsom’s administration wants to lower the baseline funding requirements due to lower state revenues.

Newsom’s revised budget for 2024-25 allocates $109.1 billion for education, which is about $30 billion higher than it was five years ago. Despite this increase, educators from the California Teachers Association and the California School Board Association argue that the proposed changes could reduce funding for schools by billions of dollars.

David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, expressed concerns that Newsom’s proposal could lead to “future manipulation” of the Prop 98 guarantee, resulting in larger class sizes, fewer counselors, and potential layoffs.

The California School Boards Association also criticized the proposal, calling it a “ticking-time bomb” that threatens the state’s school funding system. Robert Manwaring, former K-12 education director of the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, likened the maneuver to a school bond, where the state has already spent the money and will pay for it in future years out of the non-Prop 98 side of the budget.

Educators are considering legal action to challenge the proposed changes, with Goldberg stating that they are “open to any and all strategies and tactics” to protect public school funding for students and communities. The debate over the budget revisions is ongoing, with stakeholders on both sides voicing their concerns about the potential impact on California’s education system.

Team@GQN.