Davis' proposal does not allow additional flexibility and only holds schools hostage to Sacramento's rules and bureaucratic red tape. The state allocates funding to schools for more than 60 different categorical programs. In fact, over 50 percent of education dollars are allocated for these specific state-mandated programs. Categorical education programs are programs funded by the state to address specified needs. Each categorical program has its own rules and guidelines.
Flexibility is lost when school districts are forced to comply with complex, detailed requirements.
For instance, if a school needs reading textbooks and the state allocates funding to purchase only math books, the school faces the dilemma of either not using the funds or buying math books when reading books are needed. California has approximately 1,000 school districts. In another effort to create more flexibility for local school districts, I have introduced a measure this year to streamline many of the education programs into five block grants. There are no simple solutions to fix California's ailing schools. When Sacramento dictates all of the rules and decisions, it is difficult to hold schools accountable.