SACRAMENTO, CA – California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) President and CEO Myrna Castrejón issued the following statement regarding Governor Newsom’s 2022-23 state budget proposal.
Said Ms. Castrejón:
“Governor Newsom’s budget plan responds to the challenge of addressing the serious negative impacts of the pandemic on students, as it proposes a record investment in California’s public education system. Our public schools are continuing to persevere through the pandemic and are suffering under tremendous strain amid an unprecedented surge in new cases of COVID-19. The additional $3.3 billion included in the proposal for the Local Control Funding Formula will provide much needed help to schools.
“We also appreciate that the Governor’s budget proposal includes additional funding for the Charter School Facility Grant Program. The $30 million in ongoing funding for the program will help charter schools address immediate facility needs to be able to appropriately serve their students.
“Governor Newsom rightly recognizes that we need to support student social-emotional wellness. We also support his call for additional ongoing funding for special education and the continuation of expanded learning program implementation which support equity and closing opportunity gaps.
“Charter public schools are acutely impacted as the pandemic continues to affect every community in the state and students struggle to safely attend class in person. Charter schools face immediate funding reductions as this year’s enrollment and attendance is reduced. It is heartening to see that Governor Newsom has indicated he wants to work with charter public schools, which serve approximately 700,000 students statewide, to find a remedy that will stabilize funding during this crisis.
“As we set new priorities amid record revenues, we must be mindful of the continued strain the third year of the pandemic has placed on California’s public education system. All children need stability as we recover, and we must support each of our schools by providing them with the necessary funding to combat learning loss, support social-emotional wellbeing, and be anchors in the communities they serve.”