Home | Fair Funding CA

All California students deserve fair funding.

But we have a two-tier system, where some wealthier communities have far more tax funding than state-funded schools.

School quality shouldn't depend on your zip code - it isn't fair.

Excess Tax districts (also called "Basic Aid") are a holdover from over 50 years ago, when California school funding was based on local wealth. This scheme was found unconstitutional in the famous 1970s Serrano vs. Priest decisions, creating a national model for fair school funding.

Today, through the LCFF, California is committed to giving higher funding to districts with high-need students, and fair funding for all.

But a loophole was left for the wealthiest districts, giving them more tax dollars - in many cases, a lot more. These are the Excess Tax districts. Closing this loophole will help solve the funding gap, and create a system where the quality of your child's school does not depend on their zip code.

Even within the same county, the funding gaps are huge ... and growing fast

Marin County
Funding Gap: Reed Union

vs. San Rafael

Reed Union gets almost $9K per pupil more than San Rafael

How Funding Impacts Classrooms
Excess Tax vs. State-Funded Districts

Excess Tax Districts

Have More Resources

13% Higher Teacher Pay

Over 10% Longer Teacher Experience

Over 10% Lower Class Sizes

But State-Funded districts serve many more high-need and historically underserved students

76% More Low-Income Students

77% More English Learners

69% More Latino Students

More Resources & Downloads

Two-Page Flyer

Facts, figures, and FAQs in a two-pager PDF, perfect for printing

View Flyer

Explainer Slides

Ten slides explaining more about Excess Tax districts, including lists of the top districts

View Slides

Explainer Video

Long-form video (17 minutes), on the issues and impact of Excess Tax funding disparities.

View Video

District Data

See the funding of Excess Tax districts in counties around the state.

View Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Have there always been Excess Tax districts? How did this happen?

Before the 1980s, all CA districts were locally funded, and school funding was driven mostly by the wealth of each community. A series of court cases, starting with the well-known Serrano vs. Priest, required the state to equalize funding. But a loophole preserved the Excess Tax districts. They are a remnant of that earlier era, when the wealth of a community determined the quality of its schools.