Last friday, CA Governor Jerry Brown stated in his budget proposal that the Administration wants “to advance the dialogue on the future of school facilities funding….to engage with the Legislature and education stakeholders to shape a future state program that is focused on districts with the greatest need, while providing substantial new flexibility for local districts to raise the necessary resources for school facilities needs.” To inform this upcoming state policy date, UC Berkeley's Center for Cities + School released their new report, Guided by Principles: Shaping the State of California’s Role in K-12 Public School Facility Funding. The report analyzes school facility spending across the state and proposes principles to guide policy decisions: local district accountability, fiscal stability and predictability, facility adequacy, and program simplicity.

“We think the analysis in this report will help shape this important policy debate – setting the table for a thoughtful conversation about the State of California's role and responsibility in ensuring our children attend school in safe, healthy, and high-quality facilities,” says the report's lead author, Jeff Vincent. 

Principle 1: Equity. The state's role should ensure equity in K-12 public school facility conditions and state facility funding allocations should be equitably distributed, guided by student, staff, and school needs.

Principle 2: Local District Effort and Accountability. State K-12 facility allocations should incentivize responsible local planning and investment for K-12 facilities.

Principle 3: Fiscal Stability and Predictability. State K-12 facility allocations should be stable in nature to promote sound local planning and sound investments that prioritize health, safety, and educational suitability of learning environments.

Principle 4: Facilities Adequacy. State policies and funding allocation on K-12 facilities should strive to achieve adequate levels of combined state and local investment that best promote health, safety, and educatonal suitability.

Principle 5: Program Simplicity. State K-12 facility allocations should be transparent and easily understood and accessed.