A Continued Lack of Adequate Funding from the State Is Limiting Student Achievement
Since 2006 the Capistrano Unified School District has been forced to cut $152 million from its budget. The continued lack of adequate funding from the State has resulted in a notable decline in the academic performance of students across all demographics. In particular, academic performance in math is plummeting. CUSD is no longer able to provide high achieving math students with even a minimum education; and is in fact depriving high achieving math students of an opportunity to reach their academic potential. As a result, students graduating from CUSD can no longer compete with their peers on college entrance exams or compete for entrance into college.
Entrance into 4-year selective Universities require a minimum of 3 years of math - Algebra I - Geometry - Algebra II by the end of 11th grade with a recommendation of 4-years of math.
EAP Test Results Algebra II (Ready for College by end of 11th grade)
2015: Testing Changed (Based on new CASPP Test) Results cannot be compared. Prior to 2015, EAP was based on STAR testing.
2014: 3% (Conditional 18%) 21%
2013: 6% (Conditional 27%) 33%
2012: 10% (Conditional 30%) 40%
2011: 9% (Conditional 25%) 34%
2010: 9% (Conditional 26%) 35%
2009: 6% (Conditional 31%) 36%
2008: 8% (Conditional 26%) 34%
2007: 10% (Conditional 29%) 39%
The State's new education funding law limits K-12 per pupil funding to 2007-08 levels + inflation, not to be reached until 2021. In 2007-08 State revenues were $105 billion; today the state is expected to receive over $123 billion in revenues. By the year 2021, CUSD revenues will have been flat for almost 14 years at $7,763 with the expectation that per pupil funding will rise to $8,500 by 2021.
In 2006 the State of California commissioned a study entitled "Efficiency And Adequacy in California School Finance: A Professional Judgement Approach To Determine The Cost To Adequately Educate A Student". Results of that study (2007-08) concluded that per pupil costs with special needs weightings were found to be:
Average: $11,094 to $12,365
Urban: $11,508 to $12,718
Suburban: $10,726 to $12,077
Towns: $ 8,932 to $ 9,896
Rural: $10,615 to $11,881
Source: https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/19-AIR-PJP-Report(3-07).pdf at page xii
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (latest data 2013 for the year 2011-12)
The State average per pupil funding in California in 2011-12 was $9,608.
The National average per pupil funding in 2011-12 was $11,363.
Source: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d14/tables/dt14_236.70.asp?current=yes
According to the latest California data for the year 2013-14, the State average per pupil funding in California has dropped to $8,867.
Source: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/fd/ec/currentexpense.asp
While the National average per pupil funding has increased to $12,401.
Source: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66
In California education is the #1 constitutionally mandated expense.
The California Constitution gives ives education funding a unique priority above all other state funding obligations by requiring:
"from all state revenues there shall first be set apart the monies to be applied by the State for support of the public school system..." Cal. Const. art. XVI, §8. (Emphasis added)
No choice in which school to attend -