The California Legislature is seeking new ways to incorporate $300 million that Gov. Gavin Newsom has put away for students at low-income schools, which are mostly Black students.
The Associated Press reported that many advocates say $300 million is insufficient to improve education for low-income Black students.
Akilah Weber, an Assemblymember and Democrat from San Diego, introduced a bill to ensure that Black students receive a quality education. But after speaking with Newsom, Weber decided to withdraw the bill over concerns that the legislation could violate the state or U.S. Constitutions. The bill reportedly focused on one specific racial group, despite not using the word “Black,” according to AP News.
Weber and members of the Legislative Black Caucus collaborated with Newsom to strategize a way to increase educational value instead of zeroing funds to schools where most of its students eat free lunch.
Schools with large Black student bodies receive 16% less local and state revenue than schools with fewer Black students. Districts with concentrated poverty receive 5% less, which is about $800 per student, of state and local funds than districts with low poverty, according to The Education Trust.
“Money matters, and how much a school has affects student outcomes. Yet, school districts and schools that serve large populations of students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and English learners continue to receive less funding,” said Ivy Morgan, director of P-12 data and analytics at Ed Trust, cited by Edtrust.org.
Weber is calling on school districts to be accountable for using money that improves students’ educational experience.
“This proposal is exactly what our state needs to work toward repairing the longstanding harms of inequity in education and ensuring our schools are more fair and accessible for all students,” Weber said in a statement cited by AP News.