Calif. budget aims to change education funding

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-01-11/calif-dot-budget-aims-to-change-education-funding

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday proposed a sweeping overhaul of K-12 education financing that would provide more money for low-income schools and give districts more control over how they can spend state funds.

Fresh off voter-approved hikes in the state sales tax and income taxes on the wealthy, the Democratic governor's newly unveiled budget plan allocates $2.7 billion more for elementary and secondary education and community colleges for the next fiscal year.

Spending on K-12 and two-year colleges would total $56.2 billion for 2013-14. That figure would return the state to nearly prerecession funding after a series of spending cuts. Of the additional amount allocated for the fiscal year starting July 1, the governor wants to use $1.8 billion to pay school districts what the state already owes them in late payments for previous years.