Education advocates met with lawmakers in Sacramento on Wednesday, asking them to fully fund state preschools, K-through-12 education and community colleges in next year’s budget.

Proposition 98 requires a minimum level of funding, but in January, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed to hold back $5.6 billion of the money until the final revenue numbers are in.

Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, said students would lose out if schools don’t get the full amount.

"That's about $900 per student in our K-12 and about $500 per student in our community colleges," she said. "And so we're saying fully protect education."

The State Assembly’s budget analyst is projecting a small budget surplus this year. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that the Prop 98 guarantee for K-12 students and community colleges will total more than $125 billion for the next school year. The governor is set to update his budget proposal in mid-May and the Legislature is required to pass a balanced budget by June 15.

Some school districts are already cutting jobs. Sandra Larsen, president of the Petaluma Federation of Teachers, said these job losses affect kids’ education and their safety.

"We're losing counselors, nurses, support people that help kids on campus every day," she said, "and we're losing teachers, so classes are going to get larger."

Data from the California School Boards Association finds that California’s student-teacher ratio, at almost 21 students per teacher, is 35% higher than the national average.

Source: Public News Service