ERIC Number: ED561203
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Mar
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Implementing California's School Funding Formula: Will High-Need Students Benefit?
Hill, Laura; Ugo, Iwunze
Public Policy Institute of California
The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) reformed California's K-12 school finance system. It replaced a patchwork of formulas and specific (or "categorical") programs with a focus on local control, funding equity, and additional support for the large share of students (63%) who are "high needs"--that is, low-income, English Learner, and/or foster care youth. However, there are still concerns about whether the new funding will reach high-need students. Because districts have spending flexibility, and because some of the extra funding for high-need students is based on their districtwide enrollment levels, it is possible that high-need schools in districts with relatively low overall shares of high-need students will not get the funding they need. Our research indicates that county offices of education--which are charged with assisting districts in developing and achieving accountability plans--may have extra work to do in parts of Southern California, the Bay Area, and Sacramento to ensure that extra state funding improves outcomes of high-need students who are not evenly distributed across district schools.
Descriptors: Funding Formulas, State Aid, Elementary Secondary Education, Educational Finance, Special Needs Students, School Demography, School Districts, Enrollment, Counties
Public Policy Institute of California. 500 Washington Street Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94111. Tel: 415-291-4400; Fax: 415-291-4401; Web site: http://www.ppic.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Silver Giving Foundation
Authoring Institution: Public Policy Institute of California
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A