LCFF Position Statement
School funding structure and allocation is something that is very controversial. It summons discussions and specters of class warfare, the haves vs. The have-not's equity in opportunity, equity in outcomes and many other hot-button topics in the political, cultural and public lexicons. The current school funding structure in the state of California is to be jettisoned in favor of the new Local Control Funding Formula, whereby funding for specific initiatives and goals is gotten rid of in favor of block grants of funds that are based on the situation and conditions of the school district in question. While no single funding structure will ever be perfect, especially for a state like California, treating school systems based on overall tax bases and resources is far better than allowing pet projects in individual districts to get special treatment for specific monies.
Analysis
It has been known and pontificated about for years and decades that some school districts are always and majorly behind the proverbial eight ball in terms of funding and resources due to the vibrant home prices and tax bases of some areas vs. The squalor and destitution of other areas. Such a condition has led to clarion calls and a heaping of vitriol regarding how some school districts are able to leverage to do things and help their children in ways that inner city and otherwise disadvantaged school districts could only dream of and this ignores the fact that private schools are often (but not always) a refuge for the children and parents of the rich and never the poor and downtrodden (CDE, 2014).
This is perhaps the goal, at least in part, behind the emergence of the Local Control Funding Formula whereby customization and pet projects are discarded as specific concerns in favor of a gross amount of dollars that is not designed for any too specific but is meant to cover all the needs of a given district. However, the Local Control Funding Formula does not throw out the baby with the proverbial bath water as the funding for a new year is based at least in part on what happened the prior year, sort of a baseline budget if you will. Indeed, the prior year should be the starting point for the current year but any changes that would affect the monetary needs of the school system in question including change in staffing level, change in student number and other needs would obviously need to be taken into account (CDE, 2014).
That all being said, just because "x" funding was done last year does not mean that that is the bare minimum for the new year because if the staff or student count has fallen, much as it has in areas like Chicago and Detroit, then the amount of money that the applicable district should get should almost certainly fall and that presumes that no school closings should or might need to happen, also as has happened or has been discussed in Chicago and Detroit (Tribune, 2014). Indeed, people fleeing the urban and high-crime areas for the suburbs and rural areas is something that has to be accounted for and would no doubt possibly an issue in areas like Los Angeles and other urban areas in California (CDE, 2014).
In addition, the complex formula for the Local Control Funding Formula should not be complex just for the sake of being complex, but areas that can and should support their own pet projects and shiny new buildings should be made to self-finance those projects and should not foist their discretionary projects and tasks on the state funding pool unless all districts are getting the same chances and changes, which is unlikely when speaking of larger and richer districts. Even so, punishing richer districts just because they are rich is not fair either but the ability to self-finance and the tax base in question should absolutely be part of the...
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