Fact Sheet Law Enforcement Staffing in California By Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom, Andrew Skelton Jan 8, 2024 Law enforcement is funded largely at the local level, and almost half of California’s law enforcement officers work for municipal police departments. Staffing levels continued to drop in 2022, though losses vary across agencies.
event Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment Dec 14, 2023 Over the past five years, enrollment has fallen in nearly three-quarters of California school districts, a trend that is expected to continue into the next decade. In a presentation of a new report, PPIC researchers Julien Lafortune and Emmanuel Prunty will outline the regions and groups affected most by enrollment declines and discuss the fiscal impacts and policy implications for the state’s TK–12 system.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Policies for Creating and Keeping Jobs in California By David Neumark, Emma Wohl, Stephanie Barton Dec 13, 2023 California offers 21 programs intended to add jobs or grow employment. Which policies work and how well? Three programs show strong evidence for creating jobs or increasing employment; others show mixed evidence or are too new to be evaluated. The state should consider expanding effective programs and build features to better evaluate the others.
Report Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty Dec 11, 2023 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 Dec 11, 2023 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.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Dec 6, 2023 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 Commentary: On California Funding Formula’s 10th Anniversary, Celebrate Progress but Double Down on Fairness By Julien Lafortune, Bruce Fuller Dec 1, 2023 Enacted in 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula shifted state K–12 dollars to increase support for districts serving greater shares of low-income students and English Learners. We look at advances in student performance under this funding approach—and where further work is needed.
Fact Sheet Financing California’s Public Schools By Julien Lafortune Nov 29, 2023 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.
event Stewarding California’s Wet Years Nov 14, 2023 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 conditions of the 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future? We speak with three panels of experts to find out.
press release Record-High Share Think California Children Will Be Worse Off than Their Parents Nov 8, 2023
