Earlier this summer, California lawmakers approved an education budget unlike those of the three previous years, when K–12 education received record-breaking increases.
In June, amid an economy that is slowly cooling, the state legislature made small cuts to K–12 general education funding. Despite these reductions, however, high levels of funding remain intact and present opportunities for school districts to support language learning in fiscal year 2023–2024 and beyond. For example:
- The Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Block Grant is a flexible fund that can be used to purchase standards-aligned materials for the arts, math, language learning, and other subjects. This $3.3 billion block grant, which was established last year, provides allocations to public schools in the state. Funds are available through the 2025–2026 fiscal year. For more information about the fund and its allocations to districts, visit Arts, Music & Instructional Materials Block Grant.
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- The Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant provides afterschool and summer enrichment programs for low-income elementary students. The grant, which was created last year, can be used to accelerate academic proficiency, English-language proficiency, or both. Grant funds can be used to purchase instructional materials.
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- The Dual Language Immersion Grant (DLIG) Program provides $10 million in grants for school-based programs. More than two dozen school districts have received awards. For a list of recipients, visit DLIG grants.
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- The “Equity Multiplier” initiative, which the legislature established this year, will provide $300 million to address the learning needs of low-performing students and English learners. The California Department of Education will begin to implement the program during the 2023–2024 academic year.
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These programs offer significant funding for California schools this year. Stay connected to the Vista Higher Learning Funding Matters blog for updates on these programs and other education funding news.
By Jay A. Diskey
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