California School Finance -- the state budget

Current Funding

Note: In response to the fiscal emergency declared by the governor on January 10, legislators have made a first round of cuts to this year's budget and additional cuts are looming. For more information on how this will impact California schools and districts, please see our analysis of the Governor's 2008-09 budget proposal.

Analysis of Governor's 2008-09 budget

The Annual Budget Process
Each year in California, the adoption of the state's budget also marks the most important decision regarding the amount of revenues K–12 schools will receive.

In general, the budget process follows a schedule prescribed by law and includes:

Early January: California's governor presents his budget proposal.
Mid-May: the "May revision" adjusts the budget proposal based on the state's revised economic projections and April income tax returns.
End of June: The final state budget is due.

The official budget documents, plus helpful analyses and explanations, are regularly available online from the following sources:

The Department of Finance (DOF) posts the state budget and other official documents at www.ebudget.ca.gov
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office annually provides clear analyses of budget proposals and the final decisions at: www.lao.ca.gov (To a view a webcast of the legislative analyst discussing the governor's budget proposal, go to www.fcmat.org/stories/storyReader$1248)

The California Budget Project (CBP), which bills itself as "a source of nonpartisan information on policies important to low- and middle-income Californians," posts regular analyses of the budget as a whole at www.cbp.org

Highlights for 2007-08
For a brief overview of K–12 and community college funding for 2007-08, download this 2-page summary, School Finance Highlights 2007-08 [PDF].

For a list of current categorical programs and the amount of funding the state and federal governments are providing this year, go to State and federal money is earmarked for special purposes.

For a more robust explanation of K–12 funding for 2007-08, you can purchase online the EdSource report School Finance 2007-08: A Status Quo Budget in a Time of Increased Pressure.

For more information:
Visit the website of the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) and click on “Major Features of the 2007 California Budget.”

See LAO website

A California Department of Finance (DOF) summary of the enacted budget, as well as detailed information about specific agencies and program areas, is available on its budget website.

See DOF website

View the enacted budget. Readers should be aware that the document uses legal language. The education section begins on page 468. The state budget was enacted with Senate Bill (SB) 77. SB 78 amended the budget, and SB 80, known as the “education trailer" bill, amended education programs.

See SB 77 (The Budget Act)

See SB 78 (Amendments to the Budget Act)

See SB 80 (The "education trailer" bill)