Education Highlights From the 2023-24 Budget
There is both good news and bad news for public education in the state’s 2023-2024 budget, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.
Despite less funding, public schools and community colleges will benefit from a record 8.22% cost-of-living adjustment. Prop 28 funding will be $108.3 billion (an increase from Newsom’s January proposal).
The budget also includes a $300 million “equity multiplier” for schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged youth; $250 million in one-time funding to help train and hire literacy coaches; $20 million in grants for professional development of bilingual teachers; and $1 million for the establishment of a dyslexia screening task force.
The Arts, Music, Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant will see a $200 million reduction. That’s less than Newsom’s proposed $1.8 billion cut. There will be a $1.6 billion decrease in the Learning Recovery Block Grant, down from the proposed cut of $2.5 billion.
California’s public university systems will get 5% base funding increases, provided they raise enrollment targets. The University of California will get $215.5 million in general fund dollars. The California State University system will get $227.3 million.
Read more budget highlights from EdSource.
