School Funding Basics
A summary of what makes SLCUSD a basic aid district and why it matters.
What is the Local Control Funding Formula?
Public school districts in California are funded by a combination of local revenue sources (mostly property taxes) and state money. The base amount of funding is determined by the state using a system called the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).
Generally speaking, the LCFF calculates an “LCFF Entitlement” amount for each public school district based on the size and characteristics of its student population.
The large majority of California school districts do not collect enough local revenue to meet their LCFF Entitlement amount, and receive additional state funds to cover the difference.
What is a “Basic Aid” school district?
For a relatively small number of districts (approximately 120 statewide), local funding meets or exceeds the LCFF Entitlement amount; these are called “basic aid” districts. SLCUSD is a basic aid district. A key element of education funding in California is that local revenue exceeding the LCFF Entitlement stays in a basic aid district’s budget.
Why does being a basic aid district matter?
Being a basic aid district is considered a good thing, because it means SLCUSD has more money per pupil than similar non-basic aid districts.
However, SLCUSD claims that basic aid status also affects the district’s obligations to provide (or not provide) Transitional Kindergarten (TK). For more info on this subject, see our TK breakdown.
Additionally, the political reality is that many basic aid districts are concentrated in wealthy communities along the coast. This means getting additional state funding for basic aid districts is a very ambitious goal. For more info, see our legislation page.
Looking for more information on school funding and K-12 education policy?
Ed100.org is a great resource for detailed information on education policy in California, including a series of lessons on who pays for schools. All ed100 lessons are also available in Spanish.
The Public Policy Institute of California releases reports, fact sheets, and policy briefs on a wide variety of K-12 topics.
Cal Matters provides excellent K-12 education journalism for statewide matters.