Policy Brief Policy Brief: Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao, Mary Severance Mar 14, 2022 Funding for school facilities comes mostly from local sources and depends on local property wealth. California provides some funding through the School Facility Program (SFP), but many have noted that SFP privileges wealthier districts. Policymakers will need to identify equitable funding streams that give all students access to safe and effective learning environments
Report Targeted K–12 Funding and Student Outcomes By Julien Lafortune Oct 6, 2021 As students return to the classroom, record-high funding through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will help California districts address gaps after a year of remote learning. In this report, we examine school and district spending against trends in student outcomes to offer insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education.
Fact Sheet Paying for California’s Water System By Caitrin Chappelle, Ellen Hanak, Annabelle Rosser May 26, 2021 Most funding for California’s water system comes from local water bills and taxes. During droughts and recessions, revenues decline, making it harder for water agencies to keep up with needed investments.
blog post Recession Safety Net Needed for State’s Small Water Systems By Caitrin Chappelle, Lori Pottinger Oct 6, 2020 California has many small water systems that serve economically disadvantaged communities, which were already struggling before the pandemic and recession hit. We talked to experts at the State Water Board about what can be done to keep them from falling off a financial cliff.
blog post Commentary: 3 Lessons for California’s Water Funding Challenges in Today’s Recession By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Oct 1, 2020 California’s water managers have been busy keeping water systems safe and operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. But addressing the fiscal consequences of the economic recession is just beginning.
blog post Governor’s Budget Seeks to Build Water Resilience By Ellen Hanak, Gokce Sencan Jan 21, 2020 A look at the water and climate priorities laid out in two new documents: the state’s draft Water Resilience Portfolio and the governor’s proposed budget.
blog post Do Californians Support the Proposed School Bond? By Dean Bonner Oct 31, 2019 Slightly more than half of likely voters approve of the school bond measure that will be on the March 2020 ballot, but support varies across regions.
blog post Money Measures and the November Ballot By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra Dec 12, 2018 Ballots across California in the November election featured 397 money-related questions, including taxes, bonds, and fees. Most of these measures passed (79%), though success rates varied across types of taxation or borrowing.
blog post Groundwater Management is Key to Adapting to Climate Change By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak Oct 30, 2018 Sustainable groundwater management is vital to adapting to a warmer future and should be a top policy priority for the next administration.
