With local school boards preparing a third budget under the state’s new Local Control Funding Formula, a public-interest law firm has issued a report raising concerns about where additional state support is being spent and whether schools are properly disclosing it.
Public Advocates, a San Francisco-based non-profit firm active in defending the educational rights of low-income families, released the report today calling on lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown to consider new rules or guidance that would promote transparency in the preparation of the Local Control Accountability Plans.
“Unfortunately, many districts are still continuing to approach the exercise of developing their local plans as one of compliance instead of continuous improvement,” said Angelica Jongco, senior staff attorney at Public Advocates in a statement.
“As a result, district LCAPs are falling short of their promise to bring local transparency and accountability to public education,” said Jongco, who is also the primary author of the report. “More concerning is the very real possibility that students will miss out on the equity promise at the heart of the new funding law because districts continue to spend funds the same way they always have with minimal reflection on whether they are making a difference for high-needs students.”
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She added: “Many districts fail to clearly explain how they are meeting their minimum obligation to increase and improve services for high-need students as compared to all students in proportion to the additional funds these students generate.”
