Education funding for California’s public schools is one of the largest parts of the state budget. Yet districts across the state, and here in the Bay Area, are struggling to stay afloat. Santa Rosa’s school district is considering laying off hundreds of teachers and closing a quarter of its campuses in response to a severe financial crisis and Oakland schools, just a year after emerging from more than 20 years under state receivership, are also facing possible financial insolvency. Declining enrollment, resistance to school closures, and pressure to raise staff salaries are just a few of the many factors contributing to the strain. We’ll examine what’s driving these challenges, what it’ll take to stabilize the system, and what this all means for Bay Area communities.
Guests:
Katie DeBenedetti, reporter, KQED
Iwunze Ugo, research fellow, Public Policy Institute of California; focuses on education from preschool through grade 12 and further on into postsecondary institutions
Adriana Gutierrez, education and child welfare reporter, The Press Democrat
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