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Education funding, corrections

John Selawsky
Friday February 15, 2002

Editor 

 

I am correcting some inaccuracies in a letter to the Planet dated Feb. 13 regarding the percentage and amount of public education funding in the state of California (both k-12 and university level). In fact, if one checks the Web site for the California state budget (www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/BUD_DOCS/Bud_link.htm), the figures indicate that the state General Fund would allocate 39.7 percent or $31.3 billion to k-12 education and 12.7percent or $10 billion to higher education. But when major state bond funds are included in the overall figures k-12 education funding drops to 31.8 percent or about $32 billion and higher education drops to 11.4 percent or about $11.5 billion. This is all much easier to read and comprehend on the web site pie charts and graphs. This from a proposed state budget, including bond funds, of about $100 billion. 

I also note that the projected revenue contributors to our state budget include personal income tax ($42.6 billion), sales taxes ($22.8 billion), Corporate taxes ($5.8 billion), and estate taxes ($615 million). 

 

John Selawsky 

Director, Berkeley School Board