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Reforms
Topic

Local Control Funding Formula

California has reformed its system of school financing by introducing the Local Control Funding Formula. The formula, which requires districts to draw up a Local Control and Accountability Plan, grants more decision-making powers to school districts, and also gives additional state funds to districts based on the number of low-income students, English learners, foster children and homeless youth they serve.
January 22, 2020

Gov. Newsom, Legislative Analyst disagree on priority for K-12 spending next year

The LAO would spend more money on pension relief and funding formula and less on teacher shortage, community schools.

John Fensterwald
January 21, 2020

California governor joins those wanting to hold school districts more accountable for spending

A new website would let the public see how much any district is — or is not — spending on “high-needs” students.

John Fensterwald
January 15, 2020

San Francisco Bay Area parents declare state of emergency over district’s failure to educate black children

Parents want the district to allocate $7.2 million to improve services for the district’s 5,000 African-American students.

Theresa Harrington
January 15, 2020

California Voices: Education leaders speak out on Gov. Newsom's budget proposals

Leaders representing all segments of California's education system share their reactions to the governor’s budget proposals.

EdSource staff
January 9, 2020

New efforts to make school spending in California more transparent 

State board makes it easier to follow the money; two bills would impose even stricter reporting requirements.

John Fensterwald
November 6, 2019

State audit finds education money not serving high-needs students, calls for changes in funding law

After examining three districts' spending, State Auditor Elaine Howle calls for tighter controls over Local Control Funding Formula.

John Fensterwald
October 31, 2019

Shorter, clearer (but maybe not more transparent) school accountability plan coming

The state board will deliver an LCAP template that will be easier to read, but it probably still won't be easy to follow the money.

John Fensterwald
October 30, 2019

Mandating later school start times in California impinges on local control

Research shows later start times improve academic performance, but many in education community opposed being required to start later.

Louis Freedberg
September 24, 2019

School boards group committed to tax plan despite legislative setback

Backers of a planned $15 billion tax initiative for the November 2020 ballot hope they can win over the California Teachers Association.

John Fensterwald
September 6, 2019

Q&A with Michael Kirst: Single rating for schools ‘just too simplistic’

Former State Board of Education president says that there is strong support in California for the California School Dashboard.

Louis Freedberg
September 5, 2019

California can be a model for teacher-led change

Pomona Unified is rethinking professional learning in light of California’s Local Control Funding Formula.

Barnett Berry, Joseph Bishop and Lori Nazareno
August 13, 2019

We must disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline

Students who are suspended from school are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely to be arrested and incarcerated.

Nancy Skinner
August 8, 2019

Smaller classes, more novice teachers: the 'tradeoff‘ for low-income California schools

A new study overcomes challenges from a lack of transparency to compare schools' spending under the Local Control Funding Formula.

John Fensterwald
July 31, 2019

Recognizing regional costs in school funding formula is both equitable and affordable

Current formula hurts children from low-income families in high-cost regions.

Jennifer Bestor
July 30, 2019

LA Unified’s spending and accountability plan should be rejected and rewritten, says advocates’ complaint

Public Advocates argues the district doesn’t show how $1.2 billion in extra funding will benefit English learners and low-income students.

John Fensterwald