San Mateo County officials praising Newsom’s school spending budget

The additional money could go to expanding access to prekindergarten and after-school programs, while also directing billions more into pandemic relief programs and a variety of other initiatives.

While noting more information will become available as deliberations continue in advance of the budget adoption deadline, San Mateo County Superintendent Nancy Magee largely lauded the proposal.

“Overall, the budget surplus is great news in what has otherwise been a stark year of challenges for many of our residents,” she said in an email. “The additional one-time dollars coming to K-12 education are most welcome, especially in light of the governor’s emphasis on serving the whole child through social, emotional supports.”

More specifically, Magee pointed to proposed increased investment in teacher support programs as a highlight of the May budget revision. Funding for teacher residency programs, grants for classified workers, tuition and loan support and professional development opportunities were among the initiatives celebrated by Magee.

She measured her enthusiasm for the proposal by noting that some local districts will not qualify to receive state support, because a majority of their funding is generated by local property taxes rather than allocations from Sacramento.

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond also commended Newsom’s proposal, calling it the California’s largest ever investment in public education.

“We will not only help close the gaps that widened during the pandemic, but will rise to new heights by providing the resources our schools critically need to recover — investments to make us stronger, more equitable and able serve all students and families,” he said in a prepared statement.

Thurmond noted that the budget will allow for spending about $14,000 per state pupil, about twice the amount available 10 years ago.

Proposals to spend $7 billion to expand quality internet access, $4 billion to advance children’s behavioral health programs, $2 billion to help schools reopen safely and $500 million for teacher training and recruitment were among the highlights acknowledged by Thurmond.

Ted Lempert, president of early education initiative Children Now and trustee on the San Mateo County Board of Education, admired the budget proposal too.

“We’re thrilled with Governor Newsom’s May revise budget proposal, which takes significant and long overdue steps in the right direction towards improving the health, education and economic security of our kids,” he said in a prepared statement.

But there are still refinements available, Lempert said, who urged lawmakers to invest even more heavily in programs support children from disenfranchised communities.

David Canepa, president of the county Board of Supervisors, saw a missed opportunity in Newsom’s proposal too.

“One way to kick-start the economy is to provide free community college for all so that our marginalized youth can have promising futures on par with their wealthier counterparts,” he said in a prepared statement.

Canepa has spearheaded, with fellow Supervisor Carole Groom and trustees John Pimentel and Maurice Goodman from the San Mateo County Community College District, a proposal to invest $2 million in making community college free for 500 county students.

Also regarding higher education, Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, appreciated Newsom’s proposed investment in helping students facing homelessness and other affordability issues.

To achieve that goal, Newsom proposed spending $30 million to establish a basic needs center and coordinator for the programs at community college campuses, designed to assist needy students.

“This desperately needed support will connect students with the services they need so they can focus on school, achieve their educational goals and realize the benefits of a higher education,” Berman said in a prepared statement, who noted he’d authored legislation attempting to achieve similar outcomes.

For his part, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, also acknowledged Newsom’s vision to spend more on the state school system.

“This plan will help our families, our small businesses, the unhoused; invest in our kids, especially their growth and education; and address critical elements of our lives and livelihoods in the Golden State,” he said in a prepared statement.

Similarly, Magee expressed confidence the budget will benefit students locally and across California.

“The May Revision still offers great benefits to the education system statewide that will be felt locally,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com