State tries to restore public education system

On Jan. 7, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed a new state budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year that would increase spending in education, healthcare and infrastructure. According to Reuters, the plan brings the total state budget to $122 billion, boosts per-pupil spending by almost $3,600 and guarantees that schools will receive an estimate of 40 percent of government-approved fund revenues. Gov. Brown’s proposal also increases healthcare and infrastructure spending and allocates an additional $2 billion to the state’s rainy day fund to be used in emergency situations. While the plan still needs to be approved by the legislature, it shows that Gov. Brown is taking the initiative to improve the quality of this state’s public education system. For affluent districts like Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD), the effect of the budget will be lower than that for low-income districts. Nevertheless, students and faculty at Peninsula will still ultimately benefit from the new proposal.
“The proposed K-12 budget for 2016-2017 shows some increase over last year’s,” Board of Education president Malcolm Sharp said. “However, the amount of increase for districts like PVPUSD is less than for those districts with large populations of students in poverty and who are English language learners.”
Gov. Brown’s proposal comes at a time when California’s public education has been ranked as one of the worst systems in the nation. According to a report done by the Education Week Research Center, California ranked No. 40 in the nation in terms of school financing in 2015 and No. 46 in adjusted per-pupil spending. An increase in funding will help this state catch up with other well-funded states, which will improve students’ chances of success. For Peninsula specifically, more funding could help solve some prevalent problems on campus, such as overinflated class sizes and lack of resources for sports and other extracurricular activities.
Despite the proposal garnering widespread support, there are some early apprehensions. Considering California’s recent economic situation, some have raised the concern that the state debt is too large to allow for more public spending. However, under the temporary tax increase imposed by Proposition 30 in 2012, the state has seen a steady recovery, allowing for the restoration of some social services. In this way, the state can afford to strengthen education financing. Others have wondered whether the proposal will be passed through legislature. While some other parts of the proposal, such as the infrastructure aspect, have been debated, there has been considerable bipartisan approval for the overall plan, meaning it should remain mostly intact.
“We have a good amount of money right now as a state and are doing well economically,” senior and Board of Education Student Member Michael McFarland said. “The budget should be adopted with minor amendments. I also believe that both parties view education as a priority and are willing to invest large amounts of money in the future of students. From the local level, there has been frustration as we as a district get the least amount of funding possible from the new funding formula, so we are not seeing as much of a difference as we probably should.”
The potential benefits of Gov. Brown’s proposal far outweigh its drawbacks. California has been on the long road to recovery since the subprime mortgage crisis and the Great Recession, and as its economy stabilizes, more money can be allocated for public services, such as education. Gov. Brown’s proposal shows that the state’s government is finally taking steps to improve education financing across the board. While the increased funding is primarily focused towards underprivileged schools, the boosted funding still benefits Peninsula students and faculty.
“At Peninsula, we are lucky enough to attend a great high school, but we still have over-sized classes, a lack of resources and a lack of funding for sports, sciences and arts,” sophomore John Szieff said. “We still have problems that need to be fixed, and I think putting more money towards education cannot hurt.”