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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.
High-needs students
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
Commentary
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
Local Control Funding Formula
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
Local Control Funding Formula
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
Local Control Funding Formula
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
Analysis
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
School Finance
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
Commentary
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
Commentary
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
Commentary
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
Local Control Funding Formula
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
Commentary
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
Local Control Funding Formula
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
July 2, 2019

How school districts can use limited resources strategically to enhance student success

Fresno Unified and San Diego Unified case studies show how districts can effectively target resources.

Joe McKown and Christina Baumgardner
Special Education
May 28, 2019

California governor and lawmakers at odds over new special education funding

Legislators and advocates for students with disabilities praise the big increase that Gov. Newsom proposes for special education but reject his idea for spending it.

John Fensterwald