Assemblymember Kristen Olsen poses the question - Has Education Been a Budget Priority?

Has Education Been a Budget Priority?

Many in Sacramento have spoken about their commitment to protecting education funding in the state budget.  But when you take a closer look, you will see that education takes a backseat to health and welfare spending when spending plans are put on paper.

Even though tax revenues grew, K-12 programmatic funding actually dropped by $700 million from the prior year.  At the same time, health and welfare spending grew by $3 billion year over year. 

In the Governor's 2012-13 budget plan, schools would again be targeted for massive potential cuts, even though revenues are expected to grow $4.8 billion without tax increases. At the same time, funding for health and welfare programs would be left largely intact.

Highlights of this week's "California Budget Fact Check" include:

• Education was targeted for 85 percent of trigger cuts enacted in the majority vote budget plan last summer.  Even though fewer cuts were actually made in December than authorized, schools still sustained 65 percent of the cuts that were made.
• Schools will take another $2.8 billion hit in next year's budget if voters reject the Governor's tax increase, even though revenues are expected to grow $4.8 billion without tax increases.  This would be 97 percent of proposed trigger cuts for the 2012-13 budget year. These cuts would happen even if there is enough revenue or alternative budget plans are devised to make these cuts unnecessary.
• The Governor's Budget includes massive proposed cuts to education, while largely sparing cuts to health and welfare programs, which are the fastest growing areas of state government.  In fact, if the Governor's modest reforms are not enacted, health and welfare spending would grow by $2 billion next year.

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