QUICK FACTS

• In the last 18 months there has been a 22% reduction in state funding for Contra Costa County schools.
• 49% of California's budget cuts are in education.
• Contra Costa schools are receiving $140 million less to educate the same number of children ($2000 less per child on average).
• Our county and districts are considered "low wealth" districts and are the bottom of per pupil funding in the state. Approximately 62% of students are considered low income.
• Our district has 30,830 students, one of the largest in the state. 33.8% are English learners.
• We passed a parcel tax that allocates $.072 per sq ft of total building area. It raised $340 per student. (Compared to over $2000 per child in other states)
• The state budget has over a 7 billion dollar deficit.
• The economy is not expected to recover until 2013-14.
• California is ranked 47th, and will most likely fall even lower this year after the latest budget cuts. Since the 1960's California has fallen from one of the highest ranked states to within the bottom of the nation.
• California is $2400 per student below the national average in education spending. Although many residents feel this is a high tax state we are actually 17th in the nation in combined state taxes.