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May 2, 2019 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 25, 2019 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to fund more student outreach regarding college affordability, career pathways, and transfer options at the California Community Colleges (CCC). Below, we (1) provide background on existing CCC programs related to these topics, (2) describe the Governor’s funding proposal and the CCC Chancellor’s Office’s plan to use the funds, (3) assess the proposal and spending plan, and (4) make an associated recommendation.
April 25, 2019 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 25, 2019 - The Governor proposes to provide the University of California (UC) with ongoing funding to address student food and housing insecurity. UC indicates it would use the proposed funds either to augment student financial aid or support specific food and housing initiatives. In this brief, we provide background, then describe the Governor’s proposal. Next, we offer issues to consider and provide associated recommendations.
April 25, 2019 - In this brief, we analyze the Governor’s proposals to provide one‑time General Fund for two local library initiatives—the Zip Books program and Lunch at the Library. We begin with an overview of the State Library and local libraries in California. We then describe and assess each proposal and offer associated recommendations.
April 24, 2019 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide $6.2 million for the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to continue its Grant Delivery System Modernization project. Below, we (1) provide background on the project and the state’s information technology (IT) oversight process, (2) describe the Governor’s proposal to fund the second year of the project, (3) assess that proposal, and (4) make an associated recommendation.
April 24, 2019 - In this brief, we provide background on the Hastings College of the Law, then describe the Governor’s proposed budget for the law school and the school’s proposed spending plan. Next, we provide our assessment of Hastings’ budget and offer associated recommendations.
April 11, 2019 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 9, 2019 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
March 25, 2019 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
March 6, 2019 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
February 6, 2019 - This report is a visual guide that covers every major area of California’s education system, with chapters on early education, K-12 education, adult precollegiate education, undergraduate education, graduate education, and education facilities. Throughout the report, we rely almost entirely upon state and federal government data sources and cite the most readily available data. Within each chapter, we tend to focus on the students who are served, the state programs designed to serve them, the funds supporting those programs, how program funding is spent, and what is known about outcomes in that area. As you journey through the report, you will be exposed to information on everything from student diversity and achievement gaps, to student aid and borrowing, to faculty salaries and rising pension costs, to the requirements for becoming a teacher or doctor in California. We hope the report is a helpful reference guide for you.
January 14, 2019 - This report presents our office’s initial assessment of the Governor’s Budget. The budget’s position continues to be positive. With $20.6 billion in discretionary resources available, the Governor’s budget proposal reflects a budget situation that is even better than the one our office estimated in the November Fiscal Outlook. The Governor’s Budget allocates nearly half of these discretionary resources to repaying state liabilities. Then, the Governor allocates $5.1 billion to one-time programmatic spending, $3 billion to reserves, and $2.7 billion to ongoing spending. Although the Governor’s allocation to discretionary reserves represents a smaller share of resources than recent budgets, the Governor’s decision to use a significant share of resources to pay down state debts is prudent. The Governor’s ongoing spending proposal is roughly in line with our November estimate of the ongoing capacity of the budget under an economic growth scenario. This was just one scenario, however. Recent financial market volatility indicates revenues could be somewhat lower than either we or the administration estimated.
December 6, 2018 - With a state as big, as populous, and as complex as California, quickly summarizing how its economy or state budget works is impossible. Instead, Cal Facts is a visual guide—using a variety of different charts—to the state's economy, revenues, and major program trends.