Well, there are lots of reasons. Think of hospitals. If your community has good doctors and health care, your community may be healthier. Having residents like you and your friends who work for change also helps your community get stronger. The same is true for schools. Good schools make strong communities. Almost everyone in the community goes through the school system. You know the value of a good education. Without it, it’s hard to go to college, get a decent job, support a family and make ends meet.

 

There are a lot of ways California schools could be better. One opportunity is to make sure all schools get enough money to do their job. For instance, did you know that 33 states spend more on each student than California? And in almost every other state, teachers teach fewer students and each student can get more attention. Maybe that’s one reason why California students don’t perform as well as those in almost every other state.

 

Why is this? Who decides how much money your school gets and how those funds are spent? To understand this, let’s look at where schools get their money.

 

Most of the money, about 80% comes from the state through the taxes it collects from residents and businesses. These are taxes on things you buy called sales tax, on wages you earn called income tax and on buildings and land called property tax. The rest comes from the US government and things like the lottery and fundraisers. The amount of money your school gets is linked to the number of students. More students equals more funding. It’s also linked to attendance. When students are absent a lot, the school gets less money.

 

Next let’s look at where the money goes. About 2/3 of the money your school gets pays for the basics, and is called general revenue funds. These pay for teachers' and principal's salaries, books, computers and supplies. These funds also pay to keep your building clean and in good shape. The rest of the money your school gets is called categorical funds. This money can only be spent on specific things.

 

The state and US governments make those decisions. This means that schools don’t have a choice. If the government decides the money must be spent to reduce class size, the money can’t be used for anything else. The specific needs of the school or community don’t matter. Now that we know where money comes from and where it goes, let’s look at why California schools have so much less money than schools in other states.