Gov. Brown proposes increasing funding for all divisions of public education in his 2015-16 budget and continues to restore cuts made to education during the Great Recession. 

As compared to the current year budget, the governor boosts K-14 education funding by $7.8 billion and foresees $65.7 billion coming in from Proposition 98. He also pays down remaining deferrals for both K-12 and community college districts. The proposed budget includes:

Early childhood/K-12: Capped childcare programs would see a 1.58 percent cost-of-living adjustment; State Preschool would get 4,000 new slots. For K-12 schools, the governor allots $50.7 billion to the Local Control Funding Formula, a $4 billion increase from 2014-15; remaining categorical programs will see a 1.58 percent COLA. He proposes one-time monies for programs including technology infrastructure, emergency repair, and teacher preparation and assessment. 

Community colleges: The governor funds enrollment growth at 2 percent and COLA at 1.58 percent. Additionally, he proposes $200 million for Student Success and Support Program and Student Equity Plans, $49 million to fund non-credit rate equalization, $48 million in one-time funds for Career Technical Education, and $29.1 million for expansion of Apprenticeship Programs.

Adult education: The governor proposes a $500 million block grant for adult education to fund courses in elementary and secondary basic skills, citizenship, ESL, programs for apprentices and adults with disabilities, and short-term career-technical programs. To ease the transition to the new block grant, 2015-16 funding will be provided to K-12 districts in the amount of their current maintenance of effort for adult education. Future funding will depend on consortium plans and reporting.

UC: The governor’s proposal includes an increase of $120 million conditioned upon tuition remaining flat. 

While the governor’s budget proposal is a step in the right direction, California continues to underfund education and many critical social service programs. With the looming expiration of Proposition 30, CFT is advocating to extend the measure to raise the revenue needed to provide California students and communities with the highest quality public schools and colleges.

— By Emily Gordon, CFT Research Specialist

>>Read the full CFT Research Department budget brief on the union website.