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.
Gov. Newsom would cut $6.4 billion in school funding if Congress doesn’t deliver more stimulus aid. The Legislature would issue more IOUs to schools instead.
Federal stimulus funding is coming to the aid of California’s school districts. An EdSource analysis projects that of the 897 districts that receive their funding through the state’s education funding formula, 60.4 percent would get more in stimulus funding than they’d lose in state cuts.
Districts are anticipating billions more in unfunded costs to reopen schools. They want some of the money they'll need to be distributed more evenly than Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes.
