Statement from Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools and CCSESA President, Dr. Debra Duardo, on the May Revision to the Governor’s Budget
Contact: Kindra Britt
Email: kbritt@cacountysupts.org
Phone: 530.559.2978
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SACRAMENTO, CA. (May 13th, 2022) – On behalf of the 58 county superintendents across the state, we are so grateful that the Administration continues to make historic investments in public education in the May Revise Budget. This proposal helps our school communities address the challenges the pandemic has created for our students, staff and families, as well as systemic inequities that existed before the pandemic.
With the highest-ever per-pupil funding allocation, as well as ongoing funding for existing core programs like the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), special education, universal pre-kindergarten (Pre-K/TK), universal school meals, and expanded learning through afterschool and summer programs for all students, this budget will help our schools meet the needs of all students. It provides our educational leaders with the necessary funds to give every student an opportunity for a high-quality education and help provide enrichment support for those that have fallen behind over the last couple of years as we have navigated this challenging time in our history. We are grateful that county offices of education will specifically benefit from the $101.2 million ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to augment LCFF funding.
I am especially excited about the spending reserved to increase mental health supports, such as wraparound services, as well as other funding opportunities that will help us address inequities among our students, and empower families with more support. The community schools investment supports a whole-child framework for school transformation to guide local educational agencies in planning and implementing other recent state investments in universal nutrition, before/after school and summer school enrichment and care, universal transitional kindergarten, behavioral health supports, and other similar initiatives.
This budget finally provides the resources needed to reimagine public education in a way that will transform the lives of young people today and in the future.
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About CCSESA The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), under the leadership of Executive Director Karen Stapf Walters, provides the organizational mechanism for the 58 County Superintendents of Schools to design and implement statewide programs to identify and promote quality cost-effective educational practices and services, and provide support to school districts in the areas of student services, curriculum and instructional services, fiscal accountability and business services, personnel services, and technology and telecommunications. CCSESA advocates on behalf of K-12 and early childhood education at state and federal levels, and in partnership with state agencies, develops and coordinates statewide training to implement new responsibilities of county superintendents to ensure consistent statewide application and standards. For more information, visit https://www.cacountysupts.org.
