The California School Boards Association is calling on the Legislature to raise school funding to the national average by 2020 and to the average of the top 10 states by 2025.
Despite boasting the fifth-largest economy in the world and the highest gross domestic product of any state, California sits near the bottom nationally in nearly every significant measure of school funding and school staffing.
Adjusted for cost of living, California ranks 41st in per-pupil funding. We’re 45th in the percentage of taxable income spent on education, 45th in student-teacher ratios, and 48th in staff per student. That’s not good enough for our children, our state, or our future.
California is the home of innovation and opportunity — we’ve never been content with average. To meet the needs of 6 .2 million public school students and prepare them for an increasingly competitive, complex, and technological world, we simply must do more. We must secure Full and Fair Funding for public schools.
Join CSBA and its partners in the fight to provide every California student with a high-quality education and the resources needed for success in college, career, and civic life.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
California has the 5th largest economy in the world and the largest GDP of any state, yet ranks near the bottom in nearly every measure of school funding or school staffing.45th in percentage of taxable income spent on education
Percent of total taxable income spent on education
41st
in per-pupil funding
Per-pupil funding
$1,961 funding gap
Source: California Budget & Policy
Center through 2015-16
45th
in pupil-teacher ratios
Pupils per teacher
135,041 teachers needed
to close the gap
Source: NEA (2015-16)
48th
in pupil-staff ratio
All staff: students per staff member
213,711 staff needed
to close the gap
Source: NCES (2014-15)
California
National Average
California shouldn’t rate at the bottom nationally in any area of significance — let alone education. In 1970, when California’s school system was the envy of the nation, we ranked top five in per-pupil funding. If we don’t reprioritize public schools, we put the vitality of our communities, the prosperity of our state, and our children’s future at even greater risk.
GET INVOLVED
Join more than 400 school districts and county offices of education by adopting a Full and Fair Funding resolution.
SUBMIT YOUR RESOLUTION
Please return approved resolution to Troy Flint, Senior Director, Communications/Public Information Officer at tflint@csba.org or use the form below.