School Funding Updates
Governor Newsom signed AB 130, the 2021 education budget bill that includes extraordinary levels of investment in California’s TK-12 education. We’re thrilled to see our calls for robust investment in racially just, relationship-centered, and transformative community schools reflected in the $3 billion provided for the California Community Schools Partnership Program (see our advocacy letters from February 12, 2021, April 16, 2021, and May 17, 2021, which include the support of 50 community, policy and research allies). We are also excited to see our requests for increased funding for critical educator training and professional development to attract and support diverse, well-prepared educators in California’s schools included in the $2.9 billion allocated for teacher recruitment, retention and professional development programs. Moreover, we support the permanent increase to the LCFF concentration grant to increase staffing for districts serving large concentrations of low-income students, foster youth and English learners.
We applaud the State’s commitment to trauma-informed training for educators and staff and the emphasis on students’ emotional and mental health in the budget. Key investments include $6.15 million to support the standardized application of school climate surveys, which we have long-sought, substantial educator professional development funding (e.g., $25 million on student behavioral health, $52 million on social-emotional learning and trauma-informed practices, and $10 million on anti-bias education). This is in addition to the establishment of a state Office of School-Based Health and other multi-million dollar investments in the budget for children and youth behavioral health initiatives, including expanding school-based health services.
COVID Funding Updates
![english-covid-budget-opportunities english-covid-budget-opportunities](https://publicadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/english-covid-budget-opportunities-384x216.png)
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to our education system. It has also created newfound opportunities for change.
School districts have received an influx of COVID relief funding from both the state and federal government to address and adapt to the pandemic. As we look toward the upcoming 2021 – 2022 school year and a return to in-person learning, school districts and local communities have a unique opportunity to use these funds to reimagine our schools.
Want to see how much money your district has in COVID relief funding?
Take a look at our district-specific infographics (Spanish) or check out our funding handout (Spanish). And remember, this money is in addition to the district’s ongoing budget.
If we invest these funds now in smart, strategic ways that focus on culture and systems change, we can create racially just community schools where students feel supported to succeed far beyond this pandemic. We’ve created three new resources to explain what the different COVID relief funds are, what they can be used for (Spanish version), and when they must be used by (Spanish version).
Resources
- Blog: Record American Rescue Plan Funding for Schools ($13.6B): How Is Your District Planning to Spend It? (Spanish)
- Guide to K-12 School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Expenditure Plans (English)
- Guía: Alivio de Emergencia (ESSER) III Para Escuelas K-12 Planes de Gasto (Español)
- Report: How Districts Planned for Pandemic Learning
- Blog: COVID Relief Funding and Reimagining Our Schools
- Blog: Fondos de Alivio del COVID y Reimaginando Nuestras Escuelas
- Blog: Resources for LCAP Advocacy for an Equitable Return to School
- Blog: Un Regreso Equitativo a la Escuela: Recursos para la Promoción de LCAP