Gov. Gavin Newsom has provided in his latest budget proposal a slight boost in overall spending for public education, including more funds for students with disabilities and for children in early education programs.
Newsom released his updated budget proposal last week, which would provide a combined $81 billion for K-14 education, an increase of about $389 million from his original budget proposal he released in January.
The latest proposed budget, referred to as the May revise, also provides additional funds to help remedy the shortage of science, math and special education teachers in K-12 schools, and helps pay down soaring teacher pension costs. State lawmakers will have a chance to debate Newsom’s budget proposal before they vote on a final version this summer.
EdSource has analyzed the governor’s latest budget proposal. Here are some bullet points from the EdSource analysis.
- $81.1 billion for K-12 and community colleges, up $3 billion from 2018-19 in Prop.98, the formula that determines how much of the general fund must go to K-12 and community college.
- $600 million over 3 years, to build or renovate kindergarten classrooms.
- $500 million for building or expanding child care facilities and staff training for child care providers.
- $89.6 million for more home visits for low-income infants and toddlers.
- $80 million from cannabis tax revenue for childcare vouchers for school-age children.
- $54.2 million for full-year, full-day childcare for families
- $50 million for child savings accounts to prepare for college.
- $60 million over three years to train child care providers to screen children for trauma.
- $31.4 million to add 10,000 new preschool slots for low-income 4-year-olds in 2020.
- $12.8 million for emergency child care vouchers for families in crisis.
- $10 million to develop a long-term plan for subsidized child care and universal preschool for all 4-year-olds, regardless of family income.
- $696.2 million to increase spending by 21 percent for students with disabilities
Dean West, OCDE’s associate superintendent for business services, say the May Revise stays consistent with the January proposal and moves a few issues forward.
“Fortunately, the governor adds to the (teacher retirement system) rate buy down proposal and special education funding, but we would like see more widespread distribution of the special education funding,” West said. “Long-term, we would like to see progress on higher per pupil funding.”