Californians are very concerned about funding for their K–12 public schools. They consistently say that K–12 education should be protected from spending cuts over and above any other area of the state budget. But California’s system of school finance is in trouble. Many studies have found it to be inequitable, with wide variation in per-pupil funding. Prominent critics charge that schools do not receive enough resources from the state to enable all students to meet California’s academic standards. And the system is governed by such a complex array of laws and formulas that only a few experts truly understand how it works. This At Issue will describe California’s school finance system, review its key challenges, offer principles for reform, and outline pathways toward a more equitable, adequately funded, and transparent system.

via Public Policy Institute of California | Download the Full Report

Public Policy Institute of California school finance