Berkeley Adult School blog

Weighted Student Formula Eliminates Adult Education

The major school finance reform of the year continues to be the Governor’s proposal for changing the manner in which school districts are funded. The proposal would collapse all categoricals into one funding pot. It needs to be clear to all that Adult Education would be subsumed in the per-pupil funding to school districts. This is the extreme version of categorical flexibility, and it is devastating to Adult Education.

Without any evident and strong opposition to the formula, it appears that the Governor’s proposal will be enacted during this 2012 legislative session.

Weighted Student Formula Supersedes Categorical Flexibility

Categorical flexibility is due to end in 2015. Should the weighted student formula proposal be enacted, it would take precedence over the end date, thereby creating a “super” version of categorical flexibility, which would lead to the further elimination of Adult Education programs throughout the state.

Continued Lack of Specific Data on Cuts to Adult Education

Without any requirement for the state to collect data, the challenge has been to gather accurate numbers on the funds being swept at the local level due to categorical flexibility. Recognizing this void and the importance of collecting this data, Montebello Adult School initiated a self-reported survey to obtain information on program cuts resulting from flexibility.  Their regularly updated survey of over 160 programs indicates that at least 60% of Adult Education funds have been swept for other purposes.

Nothing to Backfill Loss of Adult Education

As cuts are made to Adult Education, nothing has been proposed at the state level to address the educational needs of an adult population that includes 5.4 million individuals without a diploma or GED. Meanwhile, the economy of California is dependent on this population advancing to both post secondary education and workforce development.

Major Issues Affecting the Education of Adults can be addressed by:

• Removing Adult Education from categorical flexibility, and
• Removing Adult Education from the proposed weighted student formula.

Contact local and State Legislators and advocate for the above, and support our professional organization, CCAE (California Council for Adult Education).