California’s K–12 Education Needs

On November 3, 2020, Californians will vote on Proposition 15, also known as the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2020. The proposition would require commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on their market value rather than on their purchase price. This brief compares California’s elementary and secondary education system with other states’ systems. Although California’s funding per pupil has increased in recent years, California’s cost of living is higher than many other states’, and its large, diverse population of students, including many living in poverty, requires additional resources and more local control of resources.