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Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment

By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty

Over the past five years, enrollment has fallen in nearly three-quarters of California school districts, and the trend is expected to continue into the next decade. Faster declines could bring pressure to close schools, along with concerns about the students and neighborhoods bearing the costs of downsizing.

Policy Brief

Policy Brief: Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment

By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty, Stephanie Barton

California counties serving higher shares of low-income, English Learner (EL), and Asian, Black, and Latino students expect greater enrollment losses in coming years. In the past, schools that closed due to falling enrollment had more low-income and EL students as well as lower test scores than the rest of the district.

blog post

Addressing Groundwater Overdraft in the Sacramento Valley

By Spencer Cole, Kyle Greenspan, Andrew Ayres

As the Sacramento Valley seeks to bring its groundwater basins into balance under SGMA, the valley’s groundwater sustainability agencies recently submitted plans to manage overdraft. Do the numbers add up? Our researchers take a look.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas

Two in three likely voters favor Proposition 1, a March ballot measure that would restructure funding for behavioral health services in California. Nearly half believe that the United States has a responsibility to do something about the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, while a majority think Congress should authorize additional funding for Ukraine to support its war with Russia.

blog post

Wildfire Smoke Is a Threat to Children’s Health

By Shalini Mustala

The average number of days per year with heavy smoke in California's air has been rising, especially in the Central Valley, Sacramento region, and far north. This poses a particular health risk for children, who are more likely to be exposed to wildfire smoke and more susceptible to its effects.

blog post

Is the American Dream in California Dying?

By Dean Bonner

Majorities of Californians—61%—believe that the American Dream is harder to achieve here than elsewhere. Support for policies that could improve economic well-being in the state is widespread.

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.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas

Key findings include: A record-high 71 percent of Californians believe that children growing up in the state today will be worse off financially than their parents. Three in ten workers fear losing their jobs to new technology like artificial intelligence. A majority say that California will have bad economic times in the next 12 months; about half approve of how Governor Newsom is handling jobs and the economy.

Report

Priorities for California’s Water

By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ...

California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?

blog post

A Look at Demographic Differences in Poverty across Regions in California

By Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson

California's overall poverty rate rose between fall 2021 and early 2023, according to the most recent California Poverty Measure. We look at how poverty differs across the state and how it is linked to race, education, and other demographic factors.

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