School Finance Reform

Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California’s school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while targeting a larger share of available resources to the schools and students with the greatest needs. In this policy report Mary Perry offers an overview and analysis of the policy change that the Governor has proposed. She reviews criticisms of California’s current school funding system, the basic principles that define a weighted pupil funding formula, the key features of Governor Brown’s proposal to the Legislature, and some of the political and practical issues raised by a move to weighted pupil funding.