Alliance Blog

This week has brought a great deal of budget analysis, which will continue for the foreseeable future. It appears that Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) base grants will remain at 2019-20 amounts, and there will be very few direct cuts to categorical programs. Though there is no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2020-21, the significant cuts to LCFF base amounts outlined in the Governor’s May Revise have been avoided by all accounts.

In addition to budget news, we share updates on an Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA-5), Assemblymember Weber’s measure that addresses affirmative action, which will be placed before voters in November (referenced in last week’s blog post).

California’s Legislature met the June 15 Constitutional deadline for passing a balanced budget, but negotiations with the Governor are still in process, Assemblymember Shirley Weber’s Constitutional Amendment (ACA5) also appears to be headed for the general election ballot, which would allow voters to reinstate affirmative action in state employment, plus an opportunity to participate in a "Closing the Digital Divide Task Force Update" session.

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) across California are considering how schools will be structured in the fall given the impacts of COVID-19. With lots of decisions to make, LEAs can now look to guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Education (CDE). Here we provide links to those resources, along with an overview of some of the salient themes they address.

Wednesday and Thursday were big days for California’s budget process. On Wednesday, the state legislature put forward a joint budget package, a show of Senate and Assembly solidarity in their pursuit of protecting education funding. On Thursday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee discussed the nuances of the plan, and laid out several specifics regarding funding they think should be made available for educational purposes. The Legislature’s preK-14 budget rejects direct cuts to LCFF, Career Technical Education, and other categorical programs. The final budget details are now being hammered out. We’ve captured all of that and more below.

The Capitol was abuzz this week, with meetings on Memorial Day and a full convening in the Assembly chambers on Tuesday, to continue to find a way forward on the state budget given the looming June 15 deadline. Read on for updates about action taken on federal funds distribution, legislators’ response to proposed Career Technical Education cuts, and plans for the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community College systems’ approach to engaging students in learning this Fall.

Here we share updates on the May Revise analysis, California Department of Education’s webinar on safely reopening schools, and the University of California’s vote to drop the SAT/ACT for student admissions.

In this update, we’ve captured a number of key takeaways from the May Revise, along with some important updates from the May 2020 State Board of Education (SBE) meeting, including new insights about Federal Waivers, the California School Dashboard in general and the College and Career Indicator (CCI) in particular.

This week’s Sacramento policy news highlights the California Department of Education’s (CDE) guidance for districts as they navigate the uncharted waters of LCAP and budget processes during COVID-19, and the work of legislators as they focus their attention on the state budget and a small set of bills related to the COVID-19 crisis.

State policy will continue to be critical as we all navigate the realities of COVID-19, and we’ll no doubt be tracking on California’s “May Revise” to the state budget once it’s available. We share news of a recommendation to waive administrative requirements for Perkins, competitive grants that State educational agencies may apply for, and Secretary DeVos’ response to inquiries about IDEA requirements. We also have one California-specific update on the CDE’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) FAQs.