The Legislative Analyst's Office has just issued its analysis of the state’s education budget in two reports:

The 2010-11 Budget: Proposition 98 and K-12 Education and Higher Education

Though the Governor portrays his 2010-11 budget proposal as protecting education, his plan would affect areas of education quite differently—significantly reducing funding for child care and K-12 education while augmenting funding for most higher education programs. We recommend the Legislature build a more balanced education budget. Our budget alternative cuts child care about $100 million less than the Governor; makes approximately $800 million in targeted cuts to K-12 education, with additional K-12 cuts, as needed, coming from general purpose and/or categorical funding; provides new funding for community colleges through a $14 per unit fee increase; and reduces the proposed augmentations for the state’s universities while still restoring their per-student funding rates to 2007-08 levels.(12 pp.)

Our two 2010-11 Budget companion reports—Proposition 98 and K-12 Education (56 pp.) and Higher Education (48 pp.)—provide detail on our budget alternatives and recommendations.

These reports are available using the following links:

Proposition 98 and K-12 Education: http://lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx?id=2208

Higher Education: http://lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx?id=2209

For a brief video summary...

Proposition 98 and K-12 Education:

On the LAO Website: http://www.lao.ca.gov/webcasts/2010/analysis/education/education_022510.aspx

Or the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wB-2FRHl9o

Higher Education:

On the LAO Website: http://www.lao.ca.gov/webcasts/2010/analysis/highered/highered_022510.aspx

Or the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpylTG7W0Vw