Friday, January 10, 2025
Press Contact: Sumeet Bal, Director of Communications, 917-647-1952, sbal@publicadvocates.org
Governor’s Budget Maintains Critical K12 Education Funding But Falls Short on Addressing Affordability Crisis
Sacramento, Calif.—Today Governor Gavin Newsom released his January draft budget proposal of $322 billion, the second largest state spending plan ever, which included an approximately $17 billion in additional revenues above prior year levels. The state budget is a reflection of our shared values and priorities at a critical moment when Californians face mounting economic anxiety, devastation from climate-driven disasters, and hostility from a second incoming Trump administration. As a civil rights law firm and advocacy organization dedicated to confronting the root causes of poverty and discrimination, Public Advocates has evaluated the governor’s budget proposal through the lens of its impact on vulnerable communities, particularly in education, housing, transportation, and climate justice.
“With so many of our neighbors suffering from devastating wildfires, homelessness, economic hardship and renewed immigration raids, it’s imperative that this budget prioritize people’s well-being and affordability above all else,” said Guillermo Mayer, President and CEO of Public Advocates. “We commend Governor Newsom for continuing to deliver critical funding for K12 education. However, our state remains unaffordable for far too many. We are greatly concerned by the absence of direct relief for millions of Californians who continue to struggle to pay for basic needs like rent and transportation costs.”
K-12 Education
“We were encouraged to see the governor continue to deliver on his administration’s historic investments in transformative whole-child supports for our TK-12 schools,” said John Affeldt, Managing Attorney and Director of Education Equity at Public Advocates. “Community schools, universal Transitional Kindergarten, after school/summer school programs, universal meals, and behavioral mental health supports all continue to receive critical support in his proposed budget. We hope to see additional future investments in community schools, which are safe havens of support and belonging. These community hubs are needed now more than ever in light of impending federal threats from mass deportations and economic disruptions.”
“One of the biggest challenges facing our classrooms today,” Affeldt added, “is the shortage of diverse and fully-prepared teachers in certain high-need geographic areas and subject matters. While more needs to be done to increase the teacher supply statewide and to support improved district recruitment and hiring practices, we applaud the governor for proposing $300 million in teacher recruitment investments, particularly for teachers committed to working in high-need schools.”
Higher Education
“The proposed $3 million increase to support the Cradle-to-Career Data system along with $168 million to the California Community Colleges’ Technology Transformation project show the governor’s continued support for data infrastructure critical for evidence-based policy and programs,” said Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton, Public Advocates’ Director of Higher Education.
College Affordability
“This budget smartly recognizes that the price of basic necessities and tuition are not the only barriers to post-secondary attainment for low-income and Black and Brown Californians,” said Jetaun Stevens, Senior Staff Attorney, Higher Education Equity at Public Advocates. “The smart investments proposed for increasing credit for prior learning and dual enrollment save low-income Black and Brown students time and money by reducing post-secondary learning time. It remains equally important to fully implement similar transformative policies like Equitable Placement and Completion established in AB 705/1705, that also prevent students from being trapped in needlessly long pathways to degree completion.
Stevens added, “While post-secondary education remains a key pathway out of poverty, for low-income Californians, the rising costs of basic necessities for all Californians such as housing, can make accessing higher education unaffordable and unattainable. With 60 percent of community college students reporting housing insecurity and nearly a quarter reporting having experienced homelessness, many low-income Californians will simply be unable to take advantage of the investments in higher education without these needs being met. State leaders must invest the money needed to address housing affordability and homelessness for all Californians.”
Housing Affordability and Renter Protections
“Every budget that fails to robustly invest in the housing that people need is worsening the crisis; we must fund real housing and homelessness solutions at the scale of the problem. More giveaways to market-rate developers and ever crueler and more punitive policies towards houseless people will not address the needs of everyday Californians. The budget prioritizes agency consolidation, market-rate streamlining, and a continuation of the $100 million for encampment sweeps that do nothing to help low-income renters and people experiencing homelessness. Low-income workers, students, families, and seniors are struggling to pay the rent. Evictions, which continued throughout the pandemic (despite regulations to the contrary) are now back to pre-pandemic levels,” said Michelle Pariset, Public Advocates’ Director of Legislative Affairs. “A UCSF study—heralded as the most comprehensive research from the field—explicitly draws the connection between skyrocketing rents, evictions, and homelessness. Addressing the needs of those currently unhoused is vital, and preventing more of our neighbors from being pushed onto the streets is foundational to solving the homelessness crisis. The 2025 budget must be responsive to—and do better for—the millions of Californians struggling and failing to make ends meet.”
Transit
“Transportation is the second highest household cost after housing, and one of the fastest growing expenses. Frequent and reliable public transit is a vital part of affordability for California’s households by allowing all family members access to critical destinations without a car,” said Laurel Paget-Seekins, Public Advocates’ Senior Transportation Policy Advocate. “Governor Newsom should follow the example set by Pennsylvania’s governor who recently shifted federal funds from highway expansion to transit service. A similar budget action would give Californians access to opportunity without breaking their budgets and reduce the emissions causing devastating and expensive climate change.”
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Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice.
