In response to Governor Jerry Brown signing the final 2018-19 California state budget, Ryan J. Smith, executive director of Ed Trust–West and vice president of Ed Trust, issued the following statement:
Higher Education
“We celebrate the fact that the 2018-19 state budget includes a new Student Centered Funding Formula for community colleges that allocates resources based on student need and incentivizes programs and practices that increase student success and completion. Governor Brown, Chancellor Oakley, and the State Legislature made the right move for college students and Ed Trust–West applauds their leadership in this area. We were proud to stand with the dozens of civil rights, student leadership, and other advocacy organizations that championed this initiative. By funding colleges based not only on how many students they enroll, but also based on student needs and colleges’ success in supporting students, our state has the potential to close equity gaps within our educational institutions. As the new formula takes effect, we look forward to working with key stakeholders to ensure it is implemented with fidelity.
K-12 Education
We appreciate that the final budget includes an increase of $3.7 billion for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), reaching initial funding targets two years ahead of schedule. The budget also allocates one-time funding for low-performing student groups not already receiving supplemental funding under LCFF, a proposal based on AB 2635, a bill put forth this year by Assemblymember Shirley Weber and featured as one of Ed Trust–West’s eight equity related legislative proposals to watch. In addition, the budget provides funding to improve community engagement in the LCAP process, funding to support school district improvement, and a commitment to take steps to improve school district budget transparency and LCAP accessibility. Ed Trust–West urges state leaders to ensure that the funds generated by our most in-need students are going to programs and services that support their success. We stand ready to help the state develop transparency and accessibility tools that truly meet the needs of local LCFF stakeholders.
This year’s state budget is a step in the right direction. As California elects the next group of state leaders this November, we are eager to continue to fight to ensure that our budget is a reflection of our state’s values and prioritizes students of color and low income students K – college.”
