6110 Department of Education
Major Program Changes
  • The budget includes proposals to reduce the 2008-09 Proposition 98 Guarantee that do not directly reduce program spending in the current year. These include the deferral of $2.6 billion of school district revenue limit and K-3 Class Size Reduction program payments from April of the 2008-09 fiscal year to July of the 2009-10 fiscal year, the use of $1.1 billion in settle-up monies, owed in satisfaction of prior year Proposition 98 minimum guarantees which were underappropriated, for school district revenue limit costs, and the use of $618.7 million of Public Transportation Account and Mass Transportation Fund resources for the Home-to-School Transportation program.

  • The budget also includes elimination of the $247.1 million cost of living adjustment included in the Budget Act of 2008 and a further decrease of $1.6 billion to school district and county office of education revenue limits to bring Proposition 98 funding to the minimum guarantee for 2008-09. These proposals are accompanied by a comprehensive package of flexibility proposals, such as authorizing local educational agencies to transfer any categorical allocations received to their general fund for any purpose, intended to help schools minimize impacts to essential classroom instruction.

  • The budget includes proposals to reduce Proposition 98 funding to the 2009-10 minimum guarantee. These include decreases of $1.5 billion to school district and county office of education revenue limits, $1.1 billion commensurate with allowing school districts to reduce the school year by five days, $398.5 million to reflect the use of Public Transportation Account and Mass Transportation Fund resources for the Home-to-School Transportation program and $114.2 million to eliminate the High Priority Schools Grant Program. The Administration also proposes to continue the comprehensive flexibilities described for 2008-09 above.

  • The child care budget includes a decrease of $38.7 million General Fund in 2009-10 to reflect a reduction in the reimbursement rate limits in voucher-based programs from the 85th percentile of the market to the 75th percentile, based on the 2007 regional market rate survey, effective July 1, 2009.

  • The child care budget includes a decrease of $14.4 million General Fund in 2009-10 to reflect a revised family fee schedule that increases the amount of fees paid as income increases. The revised fee schedule retains a flat fee per family, begins at income levels where families currently begin paying fees, increases fees by $2 per day at the low end, and increases fees thereafter on a sliding scale up to 10 percent of income at a lower point in the income eligibility spectrum when compared to the current schedule.

  • The budget includes an increase of $891.6 million General Fund in 2009-10 to replace the allocation of State Lottery revenues to school districts and county offices of education with Proposition 98 General Fund pursuant to Chapter 764, Statutes of 2008 (AB 1654).

  • The budget includes an increase of $65 million General Fund in 2009-10 to fund Special Education Behavior Intervention Plans.

  • The budget includes a net increase of $13.4 million General Fund in 2009-10 for mandated costs related to interdistrict and intradistrict transfers and the California High School Exit Exam. As a result of a lawsuit that requires all education mandates be paid or suspended, the Administration proposes to suspend all education mandates with the exception of these mandates, which will be fully funded.

  • The budget includes a $10.7 million increase from federal Title VI funds in 2009-10 for the next phase of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) implementation and development that will establish a longitudinal student level database.

  • The budget includes a $2.2 million General Fund increase in 2009-10 for the purpose of funding the next phase of the California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES), the new teacher information database.

  • The budget includes a $8.9 million General Fund increase in 2009-10 to continue to offset the General Fund reduction to the State Special Schools. In the current year, the offset was made possible by the use of one-time federal funds.

  • The budget includes a $4 million federal funds increase in 2009-10 for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides an additional free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to students during the school day.

  • The budget includes a $1 million increase in reimbursement authority from the Community College Chancellor's Office, for a total of $4 million in 2009-10, for the second year of the $12 million Green Partnership Academies program. The program provides three-year start-up funding for dozens of new academies throughout the state focused on clean energy and other technologies that improve the environment utilizing the statutory academy funding model.