Despite High Incomes, Report Suggests California Spends Less On Schools Than Much Of The Country
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— California is a wealthy state but, according to a new study, it spends less on K-12 education than much of the rest of the country.
The findings come from the California Budget Project and suggest the state needs to do a better job of funding its public schools.
"(California) has more income per-capita than the rest of the U.S.," said the project's senior policy analyst Jonathan Kaplan. $47,000 of personal per capita income to be exact.
He said the temporary tax increases that were approved by voters last year under Proposition 30 have helped.
Despite High Incomes, Report Suggests California Spends Less On Schools Than Much Of The Country
"California's spending to support schools has increased since voters approved Proposition 30. However, its tax increases are temporary and it's critical that policy makers in the public think about how it can provide sufficient resources to our schools over the long term."
Meanwhile, the federal government is threatening to withhold funding since education officials in the Golden State decided to suspend the standardized STAR tests in favor of computerized assessment tests.
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