Budget Cuts for K-12 Shrink, but Still Loom Large
The $7.95 billion budget proposal for public education in the state’s 2015 fiscal year makes a down payment to eliminate the austerity cut in state funding for schools. Most districts should be able to restore the school calendar to the 180-day standard next year. However, most of the ongoing austerity cut will continue in the 2015 fiscal year. School districts will get between $700 to $800 million less than the state’s funding formula for K-12 schools calls for next year. This means class sizes will remain high. Programs like art and music that were cut or reduced will not be restored. And few teachers will be rehired to replace about 9,000 laid off since 2009. Download the full report.
