California’s K-12 Funding Crisis
California was once a national leader in public education - consistently ranking in the top 10 nationally in education funding in the 1960s and 1970s. The promise of quality public education made California an economic powerhouse and the envy of the country.
However, in the last four decades California's schools have sunk to the bottom in education funding.
The Impact of Budget Cuts on California Schools
Decades of devastating cuts to public education have had a profound impact on California's schools, teachers, and students. California ranks in the bottom five in staff-to-student ratios for teachers, principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors and student support staff. Even more concerning, after 40 years of bare-bone budgeting, the impact on students of color, who disproportionately experience poverty and linguistic and social isolation, has been especially devastating.
California schools have the most overcrowded classrooms in the nation, ranking 50th for teachers per student with 23:1. The national average is 16:1.
California ranks 44th in the nation in per-pupil funding.
49% of California students do not have access to after school programs.
California ranks 50th in the nation for librarians per students. To close the gap and reach the national average ratio, we need 4,909 more librarians.
California ranks 48th in the nation for counselors per student with 663 students for one counselor. The national average is 455:1.
California schools are suffering from chronic teacher shortages. California has 1 million more students than Texas, but 42,000 fewer teachers.
12% of California seniors drop out of high school every year, costing our economy $22 billion every year.
What This Means for Our Communities
With per-pupil funding so low, Californians have been forced to find other temporary, volatile, and regressive ways of funding their local schools. Meanwhile, our state's continued failure to invest in public education and prepare our students for the economy of tomorrow is hurting California's growth.
In 2016 alone, there were 430 revenue measures on the ballot across California.
PTA's and private foundations raise over $600m every year for schools in order to make up for the loss of state funding.
Only 42% of California high school graduates meet entrance requirements for CSU and UC, harming the economy due to a lack of qualified graduates to meet the growing demand.
Only 36% of California graduating students met the core readiness standards in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
California ranks 36th in the nation for student performance in math and 43rd for student performance in science.
It's time for California to Fund Our Schools
California cannot afford to shortchange its children any longer. After decades of defunding public education and severe budget cuts, it is time for change. While Californians are being nickled and dimed through increased income, sales, and parcel taxes to fund our schools, large corporations are saving billions of dollars in property taxes every year. It is time for California to close the corporate loophole and generate $4 billion a year in desperately needed revenue for our K-12 schools.
Closing the corporate loophole is not just about dollars—it is about giving every student, family, and generation the opportunity to succeed. Despite boasting the 5th largest economy in the world, California ranks 44th in the nation in per pupil funding and near the bottom in the number of students per teacher, guidance counselor, and librarian. Closing the corporate loophole can help reverse the decades of disinvestment experienced by California’s children and families by restoring billions every year for our K-12 schools and community colleges.