California school districts are being expected to "do more with less." They face critical and competing pressures to improve academic achievement while remaining fiscally solvent in a time of increasing budgetary pressures. This report examines the financial circumstances of California's school districts and the actions they have been…

This publication contains a glossary of 152 school finance terms, some of which are specific to the state of California. Examples of the terms include: academic performance index, charter school, equalization aid, Gann Limit, opportunity to learn, school site council, Serrano Bands, voucher, and waiver. The glossary also includes definitions of…

The hot new phrase in school finance in California is "weighted student formula" (also known as "student-based budgeting"). Proponents of this concept believe it could eventually help the state develop a straightforward approach to school funding that is more equitable and effective. Skeptics, on the other hand, question the…