blog post Commentary: 3 Lessons for California’s Water Funding Challenges in Today’s Recession By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Oct 1, 2020 California’s water managers have been busy keeping water systems safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. But addressing the fiscal consequences of the economic recession is just beginning.
Report District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ... Jun 28, 2023 To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools. These programs allocated greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts—and California districts applied their early funds to health, safety, and technology. More recently, spending has prioritized learning recovery.
Report Keeping College Affordable for California Students By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Dec 1, 2021 California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.
Report Targeted K–12 Funding and Student Outcomes By Julien Lafortune Oct 6, 2021 As students return to the classroom, record-high funding through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will help California districts address gaps after a year of remote learning. In this report, we examine school and district spending against trends in student outcomes to offer insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education.
blog post Focus on Medi-Cal Funding By Shannon McConville Jul 17, 2015 Regardless of how the legislature addresses Med-Cal funding in the special session, the state faces the challenge of establishing a stable and sustainable state funding base for the program.
blog post Federal Action—or Inaction—Will Shape California’s Recovery By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh, Julien Lafortune Dec 10, 2020 State policymakers have many options for helping promote an equitable recovery from the current downturn. But federal policy choices will have an outsized impact on California’s workers and families, especially in the short term.
blog post Federal Spending Bill Boosts Education Funds in California By Courtney Lee, Niu Gao, Patrick Murphy May 2, 2018 California’s schools stand to gain in the recent spending bill passed by Congress, despite cuts proposed by the president.
Report California School Districts and the Emergency Connectivity Fund By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Jun 18, 2024 How well did federal pandemic funds improve digital access for historically underserved K–12 students and their families? A new report details how districts worked to close California’s digital divide in education, with suggestions for building momentum now that a key program has ended.
blog post Year-Round Pell Grant Revived By Sara Adan Jun 6, 2017 As California’s public universities work to increase the number of students who graduate within four years, the federal government has reinstituted the year-round Pell Grant—a financial aid program that can help accomplish this goal.
blog post Good Timing for New Federal Education Law By Patrick Murphy, Paul Warren Dec 11, 2015 The new federal law replacing No Child Left Behind gives California a chance to prove that its approach to improving schools can work.
