EDUCATION

Department of Education

-$843.5 million

The Administration proposes the following reductions in the Department of Education’s

budget:

Healthy Start Grants: $38 million of the $39 million Proposition 98 General Fund appropriation

for a new cohort of Healthy Start sites that will not affect existing programs.

Charter School Facilities Grants: $5 million of the $10 million in Proposition 98 General Fund

appropriated for facility grants to charter schools in low-income attendance areas pursuant to

Chapter 892, Statutes of 2001 (SB 740). Funding for this purpose has not been allocated, and

savings from non-classroom instruction charters will be reduced to no more than 5 percent

pursuant to the Governor’s intent.

PERS Offset for K-12 Revenue Limits: $35 million in Proposition 98 Reversion Account

appropriated for reduction of the PERS offset to revenue limits pursuant to Chapter 794,

Statutes of 2001(SB 6) in order to suspend implementation until funding for this purpose is

appropriated in a subsequent Budget Act. Funding has not yet been allocated.

K-12 Revenue Limit Equalization Adjustment: $40 million in Proposition 98 Reversion

Account appropriated in Chapter 891, Statutes of 2001 (SB 735) for purposes of equalization of

district revenue limits pursuant to Chapter 794, Statutes of 2001 (AB 441) in order to suspend

implementation until funding is appropriated in a subsequent Budget Act. Funding has not yet

been allocated.

Before/After School Expansion: $29.7 million from the Proposition 98 General Fund

appropriated for expansion of the Before and After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods

Partnership Program, including $14.85 million for a new Before School component authorized

by Chapter 545, Statutes of 2001 (AB 6) in order to delay implementation. Funding has not yet

been allocated for the new component, and costs have not been incurred by districts for the

After School expansion.

 

High Priority Schools Grant Program: $197 million local assistance appropriation to reflect a

July 1, 2002, implementation date for the High Priority Schools Grant Program Chapter 749,

Statutes of 2001 (AB 961). This program was designed to improve the academic performance

of pupils in schools in the bottom five deciles, with priority being provided to the lowest

performing schools. Funding for this program has not been allocated. Eligible schools would

receive grants beginning in 2002-03.

Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program: $20 million for the Beginning

Teacher Support and Assessment Program, which provides teachers with two years of

mentoring and support after they earn a preliminary teaching credential. This program is

currently funded at $104.6 million. It is anticipated there will be $20.0 million in savings in this

program.

Peer Assistance and Review Program: $50 million for the Peer Assistance and Review

Program (PAR), which provides mentoring services to veteran teachers who encounter

professional difficulties. This program is currently funded at $134.2 million, school districts also

may use PAR funds to supplement the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program,

the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program, or any other program that provides training and

support to new teachers. The funding reduction reflects a decrease in the number of PAR

participants.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentives: $5 million

for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification Incentives

Program, which provides teachers who earn certification by this organization with $10,000

bonuses. NBPTS-certified teachers who agree to teach in low-performing schools are provided

an additional $20,000 bonus, which is payable over a four-year period. Based on expenditures

in the past, it is anticipated that there will be unutilized funds in 2001-02.

Teaching As A Priority Block Grant: $20 million for the Teaching As A Priority block grant,

which provides schools ranked in the bottom five deciles of the Academic Performance Index

(API) with grants to provide recruitment and retention bonuses to fully credentialed teachers.

Participating schools that are ranked in the bottom three deciles of the API currently receive

$44.00 per student, while schools ranked in the fourth and fifth deciles receive $29.00 per

student. It is anticipated this program will have savings in 2001-02.

High School Coach Training: $1 million for the High School Coach Training Program, which

is intended to provide high school coaches with training in safety-related topics such as CPR.

Expenditure records indicate that this program has not been utilized.

Certificated Staff Performance Awards: $50 million for the Certificated Staff Performance

Awards Program, which provides bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to certificated staff in

schools that achieve significant, sustained growth in their API scores over a two-year period.

The number of rewards will be reduced to the following levels.

500 certificated staff receive bonuses of $25,000 each

1,875 certificated staff receive bonuses of $10,000 each

3,750 certificated staff receive bonuses of $5,000 each

Professional Development Institute Stipends: $6 million of the General Fund appropriation

for stipends. The 2001-02 Budget, which contains $54.0 million to provide $1,000 stipends to

teachers who attend the University of California-administered Professional Development

Institutes (PDI). These savings in stipend payments conform to anticipated demand for the PDI

by school districts.

K-12 Per Pupil Block Grant: $67.8 million appropriation in Proposition 98 Reversion Account

for the K-12 Per Pupil Block Grant program, which provides grants of $12 per pupil to all school

districts and county offices of education to be spent on a variety of categorical programs.

High Tech High: Delete $4 million of the $10 million from the Proposition 98 Reversion

Account for the High Tech High grants to reflect a reduced level of funding for High Tech High

Schools anticipated to open in Fall 2002. To date, none of the funds have been allocated.

Digital High School: $15 million Proposition 98 for the Digital High School program. This

program provides approximately $45 per pupil for technical support and professional

development in participating schools. The program has not spent its entire $76 million budget

allocation in the past, and this proposal reflects program savings resulting from less than

anticipated participation.

One-Time Energy Relief Funding: $250 million Proposition 98 General Fund for energy relief

for K-12 schools. These funds were provided on a one-time basis to address higher than

anticipated energy costs. This funding has not yet been allocated to schools. Given that energy

costs have not increased as much as expected due, in part, to lower natural gas prices, this

funding can be eliminated in 2001-02.

9th Grade Class Size Reduction Program Savings: $10 million Proposition 98 General Fund

for the 9th Grade Class Size Reduction Program. The 2001 Budget Act appropriated

$145.2 million to allow schools to reduce 9th Grade English and one other core class to a

20:1 ratio. Program participation has been less than anticipated this year, resulting in at least

$10 million in program savings.