California's New Education Funding Law Is Written To Redistribute Wealth Not Educate Students

It is very sad to watch the academic performance of 53,000 students plummet because they live in a State that wants to punish students who live in “wealthy” areas. Unfortunately for every public school student living in the Capistrano Unified School District that is the reality.

The State’s new education funding law limits revenues to 2008 levels (recession levels) by the year 2021. Yet the State is enjoying record high tax revenues in 2015. In 2008 the State had tax revenues of $102 billion. In 2015 tax revenues are $113 billion. So why is the State withholding revenue from K-12 education? And why is California intentionally underfunding wealthy suburban school districts?

#1 to use excess revenues for new entitlement programs and other projects such as High Speed Rail, and

#2 to promote a policy of social justice and wealth redistribution.

The National Average per pupil funding is $11,226 per student.

The State Average is $9,501 per student.

Because CUSD has a low percentage of English Language Learners and poor, CUSD receives $7,002 per student.

The reality is that the continued lack of funding has resulted in a notable decline in academic performance of all students (irrespective of students individual wealth, race, and ethnicity).

The latest LCAP data shows a continued decline in academic performance of all students. Of great concern is the decline in math performance: The number of students that were “college ready” or “Conditional” in Algebra II dropped 11% from 33% of students in 2013 to 21% of students in 2014. That means that the percentage of students who are eligible to apply to a school other than a Community College is rapidly declining.

Laguna Beach (a Basic Aid District) receives $14,000 per student. 99% of Laguna Beach students who graduate complete their A-G requirements, and are eligible to apply to a 4 year college. A-G requirements in CUSD are dropping with only 52.5% of graduating students that are eligible to apply to a UC or Cal State School.

Below is the Latest LCAP Data which shows that CUSD is no longer meeting its academic goals because of a continued lack of adequate funding.

Local Control Accountability Plans

With the passage of the State’s new Local Control Funding Formula Law, accountability and oversight shifted from the State and County Office of Education to the local school district. The State of California is no longer governing what local Districts do. The District is essentially policing itself.

The County Office of Education has also relieved itself of any oversights of the local school district. Oversight is now done through the formation of a Local Control Accountability Plan which is designed to have the Public work in conjunction with the District to set goals and measure progress to meeting these goals. The State and County office of education will not intervene unless a District fails to show improvement across multiple subgroups in three out of four consecutive years. For students, that means there is no intervention from the State or the County until there has been an accumulation of comparable data on the new LCAP for three years. Students currently entering High School this year will have no relief until their senior year. That is to late to make a difference for these students.

The new law places an onerous burden on taxpayers and the public to read long LCAP plans (73 pages), to find and identify errors, to attend a Board meeting and speak on the record to notify the District and Trustees of the errors, and then to follow up to see that the errors have been fixed. Even if errors are fixed, the County Office of Education will only take action when there are three years of data that can be used to see if the District is meeting its stated goals to improve education for students.

Source: http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp
2015 LCAP Annual Review- How Did The District Do In Meeting Its Stated Goals To Improve Student Achievement?

June 24, 2015 Board of Trustee Meeting Agenda Item #5 2015-16 Local Control and Accountability Plan and Annual Up-date (Exhibit 5 Page 35) Discussion/Action

The annual Up-date starts on page 43 of 73
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1095880305525509113.pdf

Goal 1: Students will demonstrate academic growth and proficiencies needed to ensure they leave TK - 12 system ready for college and career.

CUSD specified 12 annual measurable outcomes that the District would implement to accomplish Goal I.

How Did CUSD DO?

CUSD Met 1 of the 12 goals:

#1 180 day school year (required by law starting this year)

CUSD Partially Met 1 of the 12 goals:

#1 CST Science Advance/Proficient Scores 5th Grade Met

#1 CST Science Advance/Proficient Scores 8 and 11th Grade Not Met

CUSD Did Not Meet 4 of the 12 goals:

#3 Class Size Reduction

#7 Highly Qualified Teachers

#8 Facilities Repair/Maintenance

#9 English Language Learner Reclassification Rates

Not Enough Data to Determine 6 of the 12 goals:

#4 SBAC Test

#5 Development of a Walkthrough Tool

#6 Identification of College and Career Internships and apprenticeships

#10 Long Term English Learners

#11 AMAO 1

#12 AMAO 2

Details

1. Did student proficiency improve CST Science advanced and proficient score by 3% - ?

2013 STAR Test Results

http://star.cde.ca.gov/star2013/ViewReport.aspx?ps=true&lstTestYear=2013&lstTestType=C&lstCounty=30&lstDistrict=66464-000&lstSchool=&lstGroup=1&lstSubGroup=1

*STAR Test has been phased out - reporting is now under CAASPP

2014 CAASPP Test Results
http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/caaspp2014/ViewReport.aspx?ps=true&lstTestYear=2014&lstTestType=C&lstCounty=30&lstDistrict=66464-000&lstSchool=&lstGroup=1&lstSubGroup=1

2013 STAR TEST Science 5th Grade 78%
2014 CAASPP 5th Grade 81%
MET GOAL OF 3% IMPROVEMENT

2013 STAR TEST Science 8th Grade 88%
2014 CAASPP 8th Grade 89%
DID NOT MEET GOAL OF 3% IMPROVEMENT

2013 10th Grade 76%
2014 10th Grade 77%
DID NOT MEET GOAL OF 3% IMPROVEMENT

2. Did students attend 180 days of school? Yes GOAL MET

Cost to increase student days to 180 days:
$2,479,200 Certificated Personnel Salaries Base
$ 619,800 Certificated Personnel Salaries Supplemental
$ 626,000 Classified Personnel Salaries Base
$ 157,000 Classified Personnel Salaries Base
Total Cost: $3,882,000

Note: As of 2015-16 the State of California is financially penalizing Districts that did not return to a 180-day school year and minimum instructional minutes.See:http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/lcffitfaq.aspSee:http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=46001-47000&file=46200-46208 California Education Code Section 46201See:http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/instructionaltimetable.aspMinimum Instructional Time

3. Were Class Sizes Reduced? No GOAL NOT MET

Cost to reduce class sizes:
$3,949,600 Certificated Personnel Salaries Base
$ 987,400 Certificated Personnel Salaries Supplemental
Total Cost: $4,937,000

* Class Sizes were not reduced so where did this money go? The District did hire a lot of new teachers in 2014-15 but they were all designated “Pre-School” Was money that was earmarked for K-12 CSR used to hire Pre-School Teachers or to employee compensation increases? Number of Teachers and Average Compensation 185 Days of Service:

Contract July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013: Number of teachers: 2155 Average Compensation: $ 95,673
Source: June 27, 2012 Board Meeting Agenda Item #1 Discussion/Action Exhibit 1 Page 7
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/9066401469657812055.pdf

Contract July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014: Number of teachers: 2034 Average Compensation: $105,340
Source: August 14, 2013 Board Meeting Agenda Item #2 at page 8
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/9202076915403207654.pdf

Contract July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015: Number of teachers: 2093 Average Compensation: $108,392
Source: April 22, 2015 Board Meeting Agenda Item #4 Discussion/Action Exhibit 4 Page 24k
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/4316232143675230130.pdf
Sources Class Size:

2011-12: http://www.cuea.org/information_v2/ContractToJun2013.pdf at page 19 and 20

2012-13: http://www.cuea.org/information_v2/ContractToJun2013.pdf at page 93

Of Note: MOU dated 6/12/12:”Article 8.3 The Association proposes to increase class staffing ratios for regular classes by 1.5 students in grades K- 12 for the 2012-13 school year.”

It should be noted that in 2012- 13 Average Teacher Compensation increased from $95,673 per year to $105,340 per year. That compensation increase was paid for with a class size increase of 1.5 students across all grades and 3 instructional furlough days. When the MOU expired class sizes went back to 2011-12 level seen above.

2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16: See letter from the Orange County Department of Education below:

This Post is to long to post in the patch- to see the rest of the LCAP review and data go to: http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2015/08/californias-new-education-funding-law.html