Staff
- Jackie Barocio
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(916) 319-8333
Child Care, Expanded Learning, School Facilities, and Teachers - Sara Cortez
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(916) 319-8348
Special Education, Preschool, and Child Nutrition - Kenneth Kapphahn
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(916) 319-8339
Proposition 98, School District Budgets, School Transportation - Lisa Qing
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(916) 319-8306
California State University, Student Financial Aid - Paul Steenhausen
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(916) 319-8303
California Community Colleges - Ian Klein
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(916) 319-8336
University of California; College of the Law, San Francisco; California State Library - Michael Alferes
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(916) 319-8338
Local Control Funding Formula, Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, High School Career Technical Education - Edgar Cabral
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(916) 319-8343
Deputy Legislative Analyst: K-12 Education - Jennifer Pacella
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(916) 319-8332
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Higher Education
Publications
Education
To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
Race to the Top: An Update and Key Issues for Phase 2
- Format:
May 12, 2010 - Presented to Senate Education Committee
Webcast: Year-One Survey: Update on School District Finance and Flexibility
- Format:
- Video
May 4, 2010 - In this video, Jennifer Kuhn discusses the new LAO report "Year-One Survey: Update on School District Finance and Flexibility."
Year-One Survey: Update on School District Finance and Flexibility
May 4, 2010 -
We surveyed public school districts in California to see how they are responding to various state and federal developments. In particular, the survey asked districts to report how they were responding to the newly granted flexibility to shift funds among, as well as away from, approximately 40 state-funded categorical programs. The survey also asked districts to report how they were using federal stimulus funding.
We found that categorical flexibility is having a positive impact on local decision making and that the majority of districts generally appear to be using freed-up categorical funds to support core classroom instruction.
Also, roughly two-thirds of the federal stimulus funds were used to minimize teacher layoffs and the remainder
used to backfill reductions to categorical programs and make various one-time purchases.
Finally, we lay out a package of recommendations that the Legislature could adopt in 2010-11 to provide school districts with additional flexibility.
(Short video introducing this report)
Federal Education Funds: An Update and Key Issues
- Format:
April 20, 2010 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 On Education Finance
Flexibility for School Districts: Recent Actions and Proposals
- Format:
April 8, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
Overview of the K-14 Mandate System and Recommendations for Reform
- Format:
April 7, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
Overview of Recent School Finance and Flexibility Actions
- Format:
April 6, 2010 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
LAO Recommendations for 2010-11 K-12 Education Budget
- Format:
March 15, 2010 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
Webcast: The 2010-11 Budget: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education
- Format:
- Video
February 25, 2010 - Section director Jennifer Kuhn discusses the LAO report "The 2010-11 Budget: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education."
The 2010-11 Budget: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education
February 25, 2010 -
Though the Governor portrays his 2010-11 budget proposal as protecting education, his plan would affect areas of education quite differently—significantly reducing funding for child care and K-12 education while augmenting funding for most higher education programs. We recommend the Legislature build a more balanced education budget. Detailed in this report, our Proposition 98 alternative budget plan cuts child care about $100 million less than the Governor; makes approximately $800 million in targeted cuts to K-12 education, with additional K-12 cuts, as needed, coming from general purpose and/or categorical funding; and provides new funding for community colleges through a $14 per unit fee increase. In a companion publication, The 2010-11 Budget: Higher Education, we provide additional detail on our community college recommendations, as well as cover various other postsecondary education areas, including the state's universities and financial aid programs.
(Video introducing this report)
Overview of Special Session Proposals: Proposition 98 Budget
- Format:
February 9, 2010 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 On Education Finance
Education Mandates: Overhauling a Broken System
February 2, 2010 - Currently, the state requires K-12 and community college districts to perform hundreds of mandated activities, the majority of which provide little benefit to students or teachers. Since the state does not pay for K-14 mandates on a regular basis, the result is billions in outstanding costs the state must eventually pay. In this report, we recommend comprehensively reforming K–14 mandates. If a mandate serves a purpose fundamental to the education system, such as protecting student health or providing essential assessment and oversight data, it should be funded. If not, the mandate should be eliminated. Taken as a whole, our reform package would relieve school districts and community colleges of performing hundreds of activities that provide little value to students while providing them with adequate and timely compensation for the activities still required of them. In addition, comprehensively reforming mandates would reduce the state’s annual obligations by more than $350 million—funds that could be saved or allocated to districts for higher priorities.
Overview of Proposition 98 Budget
- Format:
January 25, 2010 - Presented to Legislative Staff
Overview of Education Budget
- Format:
January 19, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
California’s Budget Situation
- Format:
- PowerPoint
December 4, 2009 - California’s Budget Situation, presented by Mac Taylor to the California School Boards Association on December 4, 2009.