The California Legislature’s Budget Conference Committee has wrapped up and produced a budget for both houses to vote on. The vote should occur next week with both houses passing the budget bill and the trailer bills along to the Governor for his signature by June 15th. The trailer bills contain the policy language to implement the budget’s projects and priorities.
There are still a few outstanding issues that the legislature will have to resolve around the use of tobacco tax revenues and the expansion of Medi-Cal. Additionally, not all of the budget trailer bill language is in print yet. Once he receives the budget the Governor will have 30 days to sign or veto the budget. He can also ‘blue pencil’ additional spending that the legislature has added to the budget.
Here are some education highlights from the budget:
- The Proposition 98 guarantee is projected to be $74.5 billion.
- LCFF implementation will be funded at $1.36 billion.
- There will be one-time discretionary dollars of almost $877 million, which should be released at $187 per ADA starting in the 2017-18 budget year.
- The District of Choice program will be extended for five years with some reforms preposed, those reforms are not in print yet.
- County Offices of Education will receive $7 million to support their work with LCAP review and support.
- The COLA for the LCFF base grant remains at 1.56%.
- There is $50 million for the After School Education and Safety Program.
- The early education compromise would restore the increase in slots and ratio funding that was agreed upon in last year’s budget and provide $25 million to increase eligibility for parents and children. The compromise also creates a working group to study facility changes for child care centers and LEAs who provide care.
- $44 million one-time for additional special education costs.
- $15 million to restore the CTE Pathways program.
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