But even after accounting for California’s slowing population growth and high cost of housing , education officials are struggling to explain where all the kids went: For the first time since at least 2014, charter school enrollment also fell — by a whopping 12,600 students. And although private school enrollment ticked up by 9,000 students — a 1.7% increase — that doesn’t account for most of the public school exodus, Joe reports .And while kindergarten enrollment increased after a massive decline last year ,first-grade enrollment enrollment dropped by 18,000 students — one of the steepest drops for a single grade level. That suggests that many students who were of kindergarten age in 2020 did not return to public schools for first grade. Dwindling enrollment poses both financial and existential questions for schools and state lawmakers: “We should not only be concerned about the fiscal consequences of having less students, we need to question where the students are going and how their educational needs are being met,” Edgar Zazueta, the executive director of the Association of California School Administrators, told EdSource .
Academic achievement: California’s average eighth graders showed the skill and knowledge of fifth graders on standardized math tests in 2021, according to a new analysis .Equity: As debate rages over proposed changes to California’s math framework that some critics have derided as “woke math,” one San Diego school took the controversial step of eliminating several honors classes. There’s “a question of, is that label getting in the way of expanding opportunities of access to more students?” said Richard Barrera, a San Diego Unified school board trustee .School closures: The ACLU of Northern California urged Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday to investigate Oakland Unified’s plan to close or merge more than a dozen schools , alleging that it “violates Black students’ fundamental right to equal educational opportunity.” Meanwhile, the board of education can’t agree on the size of the district’s deficit. Staff shortages: As the state struggles to address its dearth of teachers , Sacramento City Unified announced Friday that the district could lose $46 million if it doesn’t find a way to make up the 2,400 minutes of learning lost when campuses closed for an eight-day employee strike.
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H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Newsom’s Department of Finance, told me: “The governor’s proposal is still for a $400 rebate per registered vehicle . That hasn’t changed. The reason that is silent in the bill language is because the administration understands that this is an area where the Legislature wants to have some input and some further discussion . … The same, for that matter, goes for … the vehicle valuation.” And as for the no-bid contract, Palmer said: “The sole reason that that’s in there is solely a matter of speed and timing and being able to get relief out there to people as fast as possible.” Palmer also said the administration is hoping to reach an agreement with legislators on the package before May 15, when Newsom is set to unveil his revised budget. Palmer also noted that lawmakers would need to pass the diesel sales tax pause by April 30 and the gas excise tax pause by May 1 in order to change those rates by July 1 as proposed.
PG&E and six county prosecutors announced a deal that will allow the beleaguered utility to avoid criminal charges for starting the 2019 Kincade Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire — by paying more than $55 million over five years in penalties and contributions to local nonprofits, charities and educational organizations. PG&E will also hire as many as 200 employees and submit to five years of independent oversight in those counties and expedite claims for Dixie Fire victims. The district attorneys noted that the $55 million settlement — which will be paid by shareholders, not ratepayers — is much larger than what could have been secured under criminal convictions. Meanwhile, PG&E remains under federal investigation for its role in the Dixie Fire — the second-largest blaze in state history — and is facing criminal charges for causing the 2020 Zogg Fire .In the latest sign of California’s punishing drought , federal officials slashed allocations for the Klamath Project ,a complex system of waterways on the California-Oregon border that provides water to more than 1,000 farmers and ranchers, Native American tribes fighting to protect endangered fish and wildlife refuges that serve as critical habitat for migratory birds . Farmers will get roughly one-seventh and downstream salmon about half the amount of water they normally would, according to the Associated Press .And with the state Legislature on spring recess until April 18 , nearly a dozen lawmakers have headed to Iceland alongside representatives of energy companies, utilities and other interest groups on a trip sponsored by the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy, Politico reports . Last year, the group sponsored a trip to Portugal , where lawmakers studied offshore wind energy, explored opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and learned about the country’s drug decriminalization program.
Dahle received three maximum contributions of $32,400 on March 2, all from companies registered to Marcos Gomez of El Dorado County. Dahle initially told CalMatters that Gomez shared ownership of the businesses with his two brothers, allowing them to cut three checks to his campaign. But under California law, contributions from entities owned by, and whose political giving is controlled by, the same people are counted together for purposes of campaign finance limits. Following the Friday publication of CalMatters’ findings, Dahle spokesperson Josh Cook said that, upon further reflection, the Gomez brothers had decided to contribute individually to the campaign instead: “They figured out they should refund those checks and issue new ones personally, which they’re going to do.” That’s good news for Dahle, as their donations account for about a fifth of what he has reported raising so far.
