blog post Public Higher Education in California Faces a Fiscal Crisis By Kevin Cook, Hans Johnson May 20, 2020 With a sharp decline in state revenues due to COVID-19, California’s public colleges and universities face significant funding cuts that could reduce student access and services.
Fact Sheet Census-Related Funding in California By Patrick Murphy, Caroline Danielson Sep 21, 2018 The census plays a role in determining federal funding levels for a broad range of state programs. An accurate count in 2020 can help California provide services to populations in need.
Report Patterns in California Government Revenues Since Proposition 13 By Michael A. Shires Mar 1, 1999 In June 1978, California voters passed Proposition 13, the first in a long series of ballot initiatives that have constrained state and local governments' ability to raise, allocate, and spend public revenues. This report examines the changes that have occurred in state and local public finance between 1978 and 1995, addressing three questions: How has the share of locally controlled revenues changed? How has the spending flexibility of state and local revenues changed? How has the composition of state and local revenues changed? The study answers these questions for each level of government in California: the state, counties, cities, independent special districts, school districts, and public postsecondary education institutions. A companion volume, Has Proposition 13 Delivered: The Changing Tax Burden in California, traces the changes in the overall revenue burden borne by taxpayers over this same period of time.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
Report For Better or For Worse? School Finance Reform in California By Jon Sonstelie, Eric J. Brunner, Kenneth Ardon Feb 1, 2000 Beginning in the 1970s, school finance in California was transformed from a local to a state system. Has this transformation been good for California? For Better or For Worse? School Finance Reform in California traces the origins of school finance reform and assesses its chief consequences. Concluding that this reform did not achieve most of its original goals, the authors attribute this failure to two factors: the reformers’ imperfect understanding of the inequities under local finance and the effects of Proposition 13.
Report Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Annabelle Rosser, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Oct 25, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley in coming decades. At the same time, the state needs to ramp up renewable energy generation to meet climate goals. Could solar development on fallowed land help the valley’s residents? Our new report examines the challenges and opportunities.
Report Pathways for School Finance in California By Jon Sonstelie, Heather Rose, Margaret Weston Nov 9, 2010 This report demonstrates how California can steadily improve its school finance system as economic and demographic conditions permit. To illustrate the possibilities, this report models a variety of potential improvements. Relying on five straightforward principles for reform, the authors show how small investments over time can help the system become more equitable and transparent. This report was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Report COVID-19 Emergency Funding and California’s Higher Education Systems By Jacob Jackson, Kevin Cook, Darriya Starr Nov 16, 2022 Federal dollars offered timely, substantial support to the state’s higher education systems during the worst of the pandemic. Funding for students, online instruction, and social distancing measures made up key spending allocations.
Report How Did Pandemic Recovery Funding Support California Community Colleges? By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Kevin Cook May 8, 2024 How did California Community Colleges use billions of dollars in federal pandemic aid, and what were the outcomes? A new report explores how these investments contributed to positive student engagement and a successful transition to online classes. It also offers policy suggestions for sustained momentum forward.
