Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1525262
C T A M E M B E R S O R G A N I Z E D to hold our elected officials to their commitments to preserving public education funding, winning an approved and signed 2024–25 state budget that includes no cuts to schools. Our union negotiated a deal in late-May with Gov. Gavin Newsom to raise the Proposition 98 minimum school funding guarantee in his revised budget proposal to what was legally due to school districts and community colleges. CTA members converged on the State Capitol to urge legislators to support the agreement and protect school funding in the new budget, leading to the Legislature's approval and governor's signature in June. CTA Defends Public Ed Funding Governor signs state budget that includes no cuts to schools By Julian Peeples Highlights of the approved budget: • The final budget agreement includes a total of $46.8 billion in budget solutions for 2024–25. These include program reductions ($16 billion), additional revenues ($13.6 billion), reserves ($6 billion), fund shifts ($6 billion), delays ($3.1 billion) and deferrals ($2.1 billion). • The budget uses about half of the state's reserves, leaving about $13 billion after the 2025–26 fiscal year. The budget also includes an agreement to pass future legislation to update the state's "Rainy Day Fund" to allow the state to save more during economic upswings. Proposition 98 • Includes the same Prop. 98 architecture as CTA's earlier agreement with the governor, with some minor changes due to different revenues adopted in the budget agreement. Under the budget agreement, the Prop. 98 minimum funding levels are estimated to be $97.5 billion in 2022–23, $98.5 billion in 2023–24, and $115.3 billion in 2024–25. • The budget agreement maintains the commitment to "rebench," or adjust, Prop. 98 upward in 2024–25 to reflect the continued implementation of Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Additionally, the Prop. 98 guarantee will be rebenched due to the requirements of the Arts and Music in Schools — Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act (approved by voters in November 2022 with Prop. 28), estimated to be $907 million in 2024–25. Major K–12 Programs • Per Student Spending for K–12 Education: The budget includes TK–12 per student funding totals of $18,354 in Prop. 98 funding ($693 above the 2023 Budget Act). • Includes a 1.07% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the Local Control Funding Formula for school districts, county offices of education and charter schools in 2024–25. The budget also establishes a COLA for the new LCFF equity multiplier, which targets the state's highest need schools. August Layoff Window • Suspends for 2024–25 the statute allowing school districts to issue August layoffs if the LCFF is not increased by 2%. This will prevent summer layoffs for certificated and classified staff. Categorical Program COLA • Includes a 1.07% COLA for categorical programs outside the LCFF, including Special Education, Child Nutrition, State Preschool, Youth in Foster Care, Mandates Block Grant, Adults in Correctional Facilities Program, American Indian Education Centers and the American Indian Early Childhood Education Program. 35 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 24 Advocacy