Marin educators offer mixed reaction
Marin educators reflected Wednesday on Gov. Gavin Newsom's draft $291.5 billion budget, saying it preserved and supported most K-12 school programs but also put them on alert.
At least three Marin school districts and one charter school will be hit hard by the 2024-25 budget's drop in the state's cost of living adjustment to 0.76%, which is down from an 8.22% in the current year. The COLA is added to the per-pupil state subsidy, known as the local control funding formula, or LCFF.
“The budget outlook for our district is concerning — and even more so with the latest news that the cost-ofliving adjustment has fallen again and now is below 1%,” said Bob Marcucci, San Rafael City Schools assistant superintendent for business services.
San Rafael's elementary district is one of several Marin districts that are financed through the local control funding formula. Other similarly funded districts are Novato Unified School District, Ross Valley School District and Ross Valley Charter in Fairfax.
“We have an extremely challenging task ahead of us as we plan for reductions that no one wants to make,” Marcucci said. “As we do so, we are committed to working collaboratively with our community on solutions that help us maintain high-quality educational opportunities for our students as much as possible.”
The governor said Wednesday he is allocating $109.1 billion out of his spending plan to Proposition 98, the state's minimum guaranteed education funding bill.
Newsom said that translates to $17,653 in per pupil subsidies under Prop. 98 and will maintain most programs already in progress.