As schools celebrate National STEM Day, more work is needed to increase access to advanced courses — particularly in science and math — new information shows. The new CSBA brief, “Supporting STEM Access, Equity, and Effectiveness: Equitable Access to Rigorous STEAM Coursework”, finds there will […]
Category: Funding & Finance
Funding & Finance
More than 300 districts eligible for $9.5M in drinking water grants
Districts and schools across California looking for help with drinking water projects are encouraged to apply for funding through the State Water Resources Control Board. The agency has a program that provides $9.5 million in grants to increase access to safe drinking water by replacing […]
2018 state assessments show minimal gains; achievement gaps remain
The latest standardized tests scores for California’s students show relatively flat results from previous years with minimal progress made for students overall. While Latino students improved at a slightly higher rate than the average, African-American student improvements were smaller than the overall increase, contributing to […]
ESSA approved ending months of negotiations with SBE
The State Board of Education unanimously approved final changes to Every Student Succeeds Act plan at its mid-July meeting. On July 12, the U.S. Department of Education approved California’s plan ending a monthslong process of negotiations with the U.S. DOE. The State Board developed the […]
Riding for a Reason: Full and Fair Funding of Public Schools
CSBA’s push to secure Full and Fair Funding for public schools is a statewide campaign, but its success depends on local support from every corner of California. On April 28, CSBA President Mike Walsh addressed the kind of community-driven event that is essential to raising […]
The California Earned Income Tax Credit can help families in your district
By Joe Sanberg and Laura Capps As school board members, you help thousands of families every day in your community by working to ensure their children receive the best education possible. You also help kids grow up healthy and make sure they thrive by helping […]
Funding gaps persist in California school districts
High-poverty school districts in California receive 2 percent less funding per student than more affluent districts when adjusted for student needs, a new report from The Education Trust determined. The discrepancy is part of a national trend of underfunding in large school districts serving large […]
More than $300,000 in Scholar Dollars grants available to California K-8 schools
ScholarShare 529, California’s official 529 college savings plan, is now accepting entries for its Scholar Dollars grant program. All of California’s public and charter schools serving grades K-8 are eligible for the program, but they must register online by the March 7 deadline. The grants […]
Stop Holding School Bond Funds Hostage And Start Supporting Students
by CSBA President Susan Henry If we want our students to achieve, we must first create conditions that are conducive to success. California voters honored this principle in the November 2016 election when, over the objections of Gov. Jerry Brown, they approved $9 billion in […]
New video highlights LCFF Collaborative Working Group
The Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF, first enacted in 2013–14, marked a major shift for school districts and county boards of education. The LCFF is intended to increase equity through local control, giving school districts and county boards of education a greater ability to […]