COVID-19, Education Funding, and School District Budgets

With the economy in decline and millions out of work, funding for education—which is heavily dependent on personal and corporate earnings and spending—is expected to be significantly reduced in 2020-21. California’s per pupil spending is already well below the national average, and this financial impact will come at a time when our schools need more money, not less, to serve our state’s children and youth.

The goal of this webinar is to build understanding about the challenges to come and suggest how state and local policy can mitigate the impact on teaching and learning. Drawing on evidence from research, experiences in the Great Recession, and new analysis, four esteemed panelists will address the following questions:

What is the expected impact on education funding in California and how is this different than in other states?

How should districts prepare for expected budget cuts?

What are potential ways that our state could protect funding for education, even in a recession? 

Panelists include:

• Richard Barrera, Board Vice President, San Diego Unified School District 
• Michael Fine, Chief Executive Officer, Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT)
• Carrie Hahnel, Independent Consultant 
• Jessie Levin, Principal Researcher, American Institutes for Research

Moderated by H. Alix Gallagher, Director of Strategic Partnerships, PACE