The K-12 Funding Conundrum...

In case you have not heard, California is going broke. Before you dismiss this thought, you should understand that this is not a long term forecast. California could run out of money by the end of this year (1). While you read this, we sit without an approved budget. Oh, we were presented a smattering of propositions that would have supposedly lead to the passage of the budget on May 19th, but Californian’s stood together in opposition to raising taxes and borrowing money from future income.

So, where does education fit into all of this? Well at the first sign of any fiscal problem law makers attempt to persuade the public that tax raises are the only way to avoid cuts in programs which are vital to society; police, firefighters, and education. I am tired of these scare tactics, and based on the last special election results, so are other Californians. But we must not oppose current attempts without offering our own solutions by looking for answers.

Here, I attempt to understand exactly why education is the first program targeted, while also looking to other states to see how they deal with funding education.

If we can find avenues to fund education that don’t include raising taxes, then money from the general fund could be allocated to helping balance the state budget. It is time for us to stand together and think outside the box to help solve one of the greatest financial crises in California’s history.