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Financing California’s Public Schools

By Julien Lafortune

K–12 funding has been at record-high levels in recent years, and California’s per student spending is now slightly above the national average. Spending is higher for low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. However, enrollment declines, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic funding pose fiscal challenges for school districts.

Report

Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit

By Tess Thorman

State-designed and -funded tax credits for low-income families are a small but growing part of California’s anti-poverty portfolio. As policymakers explore ways to refine, increase, and supplement the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), they could benefit from knowing more about where and when the CalEITC and similar credits are claimed.

blog post

Soft Landing? What the Latest Data Says about California’s Economy

By Jenny Duan, Sarah Bohn

New jobs data suggests that taming inflation has not hurt the state's labor market much. While unemployment in California has increased slowly since a low in August 2022, the state's labor market still shows many markers of strength.

blog post

How to Keep Buildings Cool in California’s Warming Climate

By Sarah Bardeen

California is getting warmer—and that’s putting strain on residents who are struggling to stay cool. Could better architectural design help? This week, we speak with an expert in passive cooling and carbon-neutral design to learn more.

Report

Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories

By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill

California’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within the K–12 system. Launched a decade ago with limited eligibility, TK will soon be open to all four-year-olds. Taking stock of the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students—can help TK expansion succeed.

blog post

Navigating the Hope (and Hype) around Solar Canals

By Sarah Bardeen, Gokce Sencan

Placing solar panels over canals is attracting attention in California. But will solar canals live up to the hype—and will they work in California? Turlock Irrigation District’s general manager, Michelle Reimers, tells us about a new pilot project that could answer some of these questions.

Explainer

Race and Diversity in the Golden State

By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee, Carolyn Subramaniam, Vicki Hsieh

California is one of the most diverse states in the nation, but disparate outcomes persist across and within racial groups.

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