Money for public education is guaranteed in the state of California – at least it’s supposed to be.
A law passed in the late eighties says that public school districts and community colleges have to get about 40% of the state’s general fund every year.
But for the last two years, California’s legislature has been deferring those payouts. They say they’ll pay the full amount eventually — just not now.
At this point, they owe nearly $4 billion. It’s a small fraction of the overall state budget, but a huge difference for teachers and students. Teachers have had enough.
The California Teachers Association filed a lawsuit yesterday against the state. They say the state has broken the law, and worse, tried to balance the budget on the backs of students.
