K-12 public school facilities need regular investment to ensure student health and
safety and support educational programming. Yet, the future of K-12 school facility
funding in California is uncertain. A strong state-local partnership has existed that
funded new construction, modernization, and other investments in public school
facilities across the state since 1998, under the School Facility Program (SFP). The
Governor, members of the legislature and other key stakeholders have identified
concerns about the state’s approach, but they have not yet formulated a consensus
going forward on the state role and responsibilities for school district facilities. To
inform the school facilities funding policy debate among the Governor, the state
legislature and the public, this brief provides an analysis of data on facilities spending
by California school districts. It proposes principles to guide policy decisions about
the State of California’s facility funding role and provides data-driven indicators that
can be used to evaluate the application of the principles. Finally it offers approaches
to a state and local partnership for K-12 facilities that would advance the principles of
equity, local district accountability, fiscal stability and predictability, facility adequacy,
and program simplicity.