“How California’s School Districts Spend Their Funds” by the California Budget Project is our site of the day

The California Budget Project has released a new five page report as part of their School Finance Facts series. “How California’s School Districts Spend Their Funds” examines how California’s schools spend their money and what the Governor’s proposed budget would mean for public education. It is well organized and easy to quickly read. There are extensive end notes that document the figures contained in the report.

Read this new document and you will learn facts such as that 82.9 percent of statewide spending for schools goes to pay for the salaries and benefits of teachers and other staff.

There are sections on how California’s school districts differ in their spending patterns, how our state compares with others in spending on teachers, how the Governor’s proposed budget reductions would vary amongst different kinds of districts, and how much an “adequate education” for all California children would cost.

A preview of just some of what you’ll find:

• The average pay for California’s teachers is the highest in the nation. California’s relatively high salaries reflect the state’s high cost of living and the relatively high earnings of California’s workers. While California’s teachers earn more, on average, than their counterparts in other states, California’s teachers’ weekly earnings average 19.3 percent less than those of occupations with similar educational and skill requirements.

• The Governor’s Proposed Budget would result in deep funding cuts for many districts– including many large districts with sizable numbers of lower-income students.

• Studies released last year as part of the foundation-supported “Getting Down to Facts” (GDTF) series estimated that to meet the state’s high academic standards California would need to increase spending to a level that is 40 percent to 71 percent above current levels.

• The Committee on Education Excellence, appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger, recently estimated that in order to implement its recommendations California needs an additional $10.6 billion, an increase of 23.5 percent over 2007-08 levels.

A must read for all those who care about the main issue in the Governor’s vaunted “year of education.”